bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Varieties Of Dualization?
Authors: Häusermann Silja , Schwander Hanna
Published: May 2012

This chapter demonstrates that the extent to which labor market segmentation leads to economic, social and political insider-outsider divides depends on the institutional context. Based on survey and income data, it shows that both the composition, as well as the economic and social situation of insiders and outsiders varies across countries and welfare regimes. The share of outsiders is highest in liberal and continental countries, followed by the Nordic and Southern European countries. In a comparative perspective, insider-outsider divides appear to be strongest in continental Europe, with regard to all three dimensions examined: labor market inequalities, welfare inequalities and political integration. The upshot of the chapter is that policies matter: they can compensate, reproduce or even deepen insider-outsider divides.
Labor Market Disadvantage and The Experience of Recurrent Poverty
Authors: Tomlinson Mark , Walker Robert
Published: May 2012

People occupy different segments of the labor market. Those on the inside often have permanent contracts with training and personal development opportunities with their employers, while those in the periphery often have temporary or unstable contracts and less opportunity for advancement. These peripheral workers are often excluded from social arrangements taken for granted by other employees and are not only marginalized within the labor market, but in other areas as well. This paper analyses longitudinal individual data from Great Britain (the British Household Panel Survey) and Germany (The Socio-Economic Panel) from 1999 to 2005 and explores the relationship between segmentation in the labor market and its longer term implications for recurrent poverty experience. Statistical modelling is employed to show how being an outsider in the job market affects poverty in future years and how the effects differ between Germany and Great Britain.
Shifting the Public-Private Mix
Authors: Seeleib-Kaiser Martin , Saunders Adam , Naczyk Marek
Published: May 2012

Welfare dualism has always been a part of social protection arrangements in Liberal and Conservative welfare systems. Whereas Liberal welfare systems relied predominantly on means-tested policies for the poor and a combination of public and occupational welfare for the middle class, Conservative welfare systems provided social insurance benefits for workers and means-tested benefits for the poor. Although institutional welfare dualism was particularly evident in Liberal welfare systems, the proportion of social protection outsiders declined during the era of industrial welfare capitalism as more workers became entitled to occupational welfare. In Conservative welfare systems social insurance became more encompassing, making these systems nearly universal. With the onset of post-industrial welfare capitalism since the mid-1970s, however, the processes were reversed, leading to higher proportions of social protection outsiders within the workforce. These processes become fully evident only if we account for trends in both public and private social protection. Our analysis focuses on developments in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Insider-Outsider Politics
Authors: Lindvall Johannes , Rueda David
Published: May 2012

This chapter is concerned with the relationship between party strategies and the political be-havior of insiders and outsiders in the labor market, concentrating on the risk that outsiders may become politically alienated and marginalized. Taking the case of Sweden as our guide, we argue that labor market outsiders who perceive that they are being ignored by social de-mocratic parties become more likely to exit politics or to support more radical political alter-natives. We combine an analysis of election campaigns in the 1990s and 2000s with an analy-sis of survey data from the Swedish National Election Studies.
The Politics of Secularism
Authors: Hurd Elizabeth Shakman
Published: May 2012

This chapter describes two influential trajectories of secularism and explains why they are important to contemporary world politics: laicism, from the French laïcité, which distils a particular understanding of religion and bans it from politics, and “Judeo-Christian” secularism, which defines religion as a source of unity and identity within societies and civilizations and conflict between them. It draws attention to how secularism is constituted differently in different times and places, the contestation and challenges that surround and inhabit the various forms of secularism, and the lives that they take on in the world as they shape both analytic perspectives in social science and practical projects in politics and international affairs.
Religion, Terrorism, and Civil Wars
Authors: Toft Monica Duffy
Published: May 2012

This chapter has four main sections. It begins by discussing five anecdotes that highlight the role of religion in two types of large-scale violence: civil wars and terrorism. It then introduces key concepts, followed by important empirical facts about religious civil wars from 1940 to 2000. Finally, it examines religiously-inspired terrorism. Regarding both civil wars and terrorism, it is noted that religiously-inspired violence is, by and large, more deadly than violence justified by other means. In addition, it is shown that Islam has come to play a disproportionate role in violence: more than 80% of religious civil wars involve Islam, and religiously motivated incidents of terrorism involve Islam more than any other faith.
Faith, Gender, and International Affairs
Authors: Marshall Katherine
Published: May 2012

This chapter addresses the relationship between faith and gender in international affairs. The roles of women in religion have been the topic of considerable research and debate, yet analysis of, and reflection on, the relationships among the three—faith, gender, and international affairs—are quite meager. Drawing on scholarship on the various dimensions of the topic and on personal experience, the chapter focuses on policy implications of the issues raised more than on the broader questions about how religion affects gender relations and vice versa. Its starting point is to ask what we know and what we do not, and to highlight emerging issues and debates.
Old Monks, New Media, and the Limits of Soulcraft
Authors: Winston Diane
Published: May 2012

In August 2007, the Burmese military junta raised the price of fuel by 500%, sparking panic in an already poverty-stricken nation. Subsequent reports of civilian protests were buried deep in international newspapers, but several weeks later when the nation's Buddhist monks joined in, the world took notice. A small trickle of wire service stories gave way to a tsunami of print, broadcast, and online coverage, including blogs, youtubes, and multi-media background pieces. Increased awareness of Burma's economic woes spurred world leaders, including United States' President George W. Bush, to initiate sanctions against the junta. On the grassroots level, thousands worldwide joined social networking sites where they could learn about the monks' campaign and support Burma's pro-democracy efforts. Why, how, and when did the American press take note of events in Burma and what role did religion play in capturing public attention? What was the impact of new media on the coverage and its reception? What role did Buddhism play in galvanizing public opinion? How did the story affect United States foreign policy, and what are the limits of “soulcraft,” the religious dimension of statecraft? This chapter examines events that occurred in Burma between mid-August and late September 2007, and in addition it looks at why Buddhism is central to understanding them.
God's Country?
Authors: Mead Walter Russell
Published: May 2012

This chapter discusses how contemporary changes in Protestantism are starting to affect U.S. foreign policy. The growing influence of evangelicals has affected U.S. foreign policy in several ways; two issues in particular illustrate the resultant changes. On the question of humanitarian and human rights policies, evangelical leadership is altering priorities and methods while increasing overall support for both foreign aid and the defense of human rights. And on the question of Israel, rising evangelical power has deepened U.S. support for the Jewish state, even as the liberal Christian establishment has distanced itself from Jerusalem.
America's International Religious Freedom Policy
Authors: Farr Thomas F.
Published: May 2012

American diplomacy continues to insist that Afghanistan achieved religious freedom. Whatever the State Department meant by that term, it did not appear to exclude illiberal religious practices that were destructive of religious freedom and incompatible with the consolidation of democracy. What accounts for these anomalies in U.S. foreign policy, and in particular its approach to advancing international religious freedom? What have been the goals of international religious freedom (IRF) diplomacy, and what has been its relationship to broader policy purposes, including the “soft power” aspects of democracy promotion? This chapter explores these and other questions in assessing the policy mandated by the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). It begins with a brief discussion of the legislative campaign that produced the IRFA and follows with an exploration of the law's operation during the period 1998–2008. It then turns to the critics of the new initiative, who emerged from all sides of the American ideological spectrum. The chapter concludes with an assessment of U.S. IRF policy after its first decade.
Identification of functional CNV region networks using a CNV-gene mapping algorithm in a genome-wide scale
Authors: Park Chihyun , Ahn Jaegyoon , Yoon Youngmi , Park Sanghyun
Published: May 2012

Motivation: Identifying functional relation of copy number variation regions (CNVRs) and gene is an essential process in understanding the impact of genotypic variations on phenotype. There have been many related works, but only a few attempts were made to normal populations.

Results: To analyze the functions of genome-wide CNVRs, we applied a novel correlation measure called Correlation based on Sample Set (CSS) to paired Whole Genome TilePath array and messenger RNA (mRNA) microarray data from 210 HapMap individuals with normal phenotypes and calculated the confident CNVR–gene relationships. Two CNVR nodes form an edge if they regulate a common set of genes, allowing the construction of a global CNVR network. We performed functional enrichment on the common genes that were trans-regulated from CNVRs clustered together in our CNVR network. As a result, we observed that most of CNVR clusters in our CNVR network were reported to be involved in some biological processes or cellular functions, while most CNVR clusters from randomly constructed CNVR networks showed no evidence of functional enrichment. Those results imply that CSS is capable of finding related CNVR–gene pairs and CNVR networks that have functional significance.

Availability:  http://embio.yonsei.ac.kr/~ Park/cnv_net.php.

Contact:  sanghyun@cs.yonsei.ac.kr

Supplementary Information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Natural interspecies recombinant bovine/porcine enterovirus in sheep
Authors: Boros Ákos , Pankovics Péter , Knowles Nick J. , Reuter Gábor
Published: May 2012

Members of the genus Enterovirus (family Picornaviridae) are believed to be common and widespread among humans and different animal species, although only a few enteroviruses have been identified from animal sources. Intraspecies recombination among human enteroviruses is a well-known phenomenon, but only a few interspecies examples have been reported and, to our current knowledge, none of these have involved non-primate enteroviruses. In this study, we report the detection and complete genome characterization (using RT-PCR and long-range PCR) of a natural interspecies recombinant bovine/porcine enterovirus (ovine enterovirus type 1; OEV-1) in seven (44 %) of 16 faecal samples from 3-week-old domestic sheep (Ovis aries) collected in two consecutive years. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete coding region revealed that OEV-1 (ovine/TB4-OEV/2009/HUN; GenBank accession no. JQ277724) was a novel member of the species Porcine enterovirus B (PEV-B), implying the endemic presence of PEV-B viruses among sheep. However, the 5′ UTR of OEV-1 showed a high degree of sequence and structural identity to bovine enteroviruses. The presumed recombination breakpoint was mapped to the end of the 5′ UTR at nucleotide position 814 using sequence and SimPlot analyses. The interspecies-recombinant nature of OEV-1 suggests a closer relationship among bovine and porcine enteroviruses, enabling the exchange of at least some modular genetic elements that may evolve independently.
The Arabidopsis Ortholog of Rice DWARF27 Acts Upstream of MAX1 in the Control of Plant Development by Strigolactones
Authors: Waters Mark T. , Brewer Philip B. , Bussell John D. , Smith Steven M. , Beveridge Christine A.
Published: May 2012

Strigolactones (SLs) are carotenoid-derived plant hormones that regulate shoot branching, secondary growth, root development, and responses to soil phosphate. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), SL biosynthesis requires the sequential action of two carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases, MORE AXILLARY GROWTH3 (MAX3) and MAX4, followed by a cytochrome P450, MAX1. In rice (Oryza sativa), the plastid-localized protein DWARF27 (OsD27) is also necessary for SL biosynthesis, but the equivalent gene in Arabidopsis has not been identified. Here, we use phylogenetic analysis of D27-like sequences from photosynthetic organisms to identify AtD27, the likely Arabidopsis ortholog of OsD27. Using reverse genetics, we show that AtD27 is required for the inhibition of secondary bud outgrowth and that exogenous application of the synthetic SL GR24 can rescue the increased branching phenotype of an Atd27 mutant. Furthermore, we use grafting to demonstrate that AtD27 operates on a nonmobile precursor upstream of MAX1 in the SL biosynthesis pathway. Consistent with the plastid localization of OsD27, we also show that AtD27 possesses a functional plastid transit peptide. We demonstrate that AtD27 transcripts are subject to both local feedback and auxin-dependent signals, albeit to a lesser extent than MAX3 and MAX4, suggesting that early steps in SL biosynthesis are coregulated at the transcriptional level. By identifying an additional component of the canonical SL biosynthesis pathway in Arabidopsis, we provide a new tool to investigate the regulation of shoot branching and other SL-dependent developmental processes.
Characterization of a Glucosyltransferase Enzyme Involved in the Formation of Kaempferol and Quercetin Sophorosides in Crocus sativus
Authors: Trapero Almudena , Ahrazem Oussama , Rubio-Moraga Angela , Jimeno Maria Luisa , Gómez Maria Dolores , Gómez-Gómez Lourdes
Published: May 2012

UGT707B1 is a new glucosyltransferase isolated from saffron (Crocus sativus) that localizes to the cytoplasm and the nucleus of stigma and tepal cells. UGT707B1 transcripts were detected in the stigma tissue of all the Crocus species analyzed, but expression analysis of UGT707B1 in tepals revealed its absence in certain species. The analysis of the glucosylated flavonoids present in Crocus tepals reveals the presence of two major flavonoid compounds in saffron: kaempferol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-2)-β-d-glucopyranoside and quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-2)-β-d-glucopyranoside, both of which were absent from the tepals of those Crocus species that did not express UGT707B1. Transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants constitutively expressing UGT707B1 under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter have been constructed and their phenotype analyzed. The transgenic lines displayed a number of changes that resembled those described previously in lines where flavonoid levels had been altered. The plants showed hyponastic leaves, a reduced number of trichomes, thicker stems, and flowering delay. Levels of flavonoids measured in extracts of the transgenic plants showed changes in the composition of flavonols when compared with wild-type plants. The major differences were observed in the extracts from stems and flowers, with an increase in 3-sophoroside flavonol glucosides. Furthermore, a new compound not detected in ecotype Columbia wild-type plants was detected in all the tissues and identified as kaempferol-3-O-sophoroside-7-O-rhamnoside. These data reveal the involvement of UGT707B1 in the biosynthesis of flavonol-3-O-sophorosides and how significant changes in flavonoid homeostasis can be caused by the overproduction of a flavonoid-conjugating enzyme.
Effect of Arabinogalactan Proteins from the Root Caps of Pea and Brassica napus on Aphanomyces euteiches Zoospore Chemotaxis and Germination
Authors: Cannesan Marc Antoine , Durand Caroline , Burel Carole , Gangneux Christophe , Lerouge Patrice , Ishii Tadashi , Laval Karine , Follet-Gueye Marie-Laure , Driouich Azeddine , Vicré-Gibouin Maïté
Published: May 2012

Root tips of many plant species release a number of border, or border-like, cells that are thought to play a major role in the protection of root meristem. However, little is currently known on the structure and function of the cell wall components of such root cells. Here, we investigate the sugar composition of the cell wall of the root cap in two species: pea (Pisum sativum), which makes border cells, and Brassica napus, which makes border-like cells. We find that the cell walls are highly enriched in arabinose and galactose, two major residues of arabinogalactan proteins. We confirm the presence of arabinogalactan protein epitopes on root cap cell walls using immunofluorescence microscopy. We then focused on these proteoglycans by analyzing their carbohydrate moieties, linkages, and electrophoretic characteristics. The data reveal (1) significant structural differences between B. napus and pea root cap arabinogalactan proteins and (2) a cross-link between these proteoglycans and pectic polysaccharides. Finally, we assessed the impact of root cap arabinogalactan proteins on the behavior of zoospores of Aphanomyces euteiches, an oomycetous pathogen of pea roots. We find that although the arabinogalactan proteins of both species induce encystment and prevent germination, the effects of both species are similar. However, the arabinogalactan protein fraction from pea attracts zoospores far more effectively than that from B. napus. This suggests that root arabinogalactan proteins are involved in the control of early infection of roots and highlights a novel role for these proteoglycans in root-microbe interactions.
An A/ENTH Domain-Containing Protein Functions as an Adaptor for Clathrin-Coated Vesicles on the Growing Cell Plate in Arabidopsis Root Cells
Authors: Song Kyungyoung , Jang Mihue , Kim Soo Youn , Lee Goeun , Lee Gil-Je , Kim Dae Heon , Lee Yongjik , Cho Wonhwa , Hwang Inhwan
Published: May 2012

Cytokinesis is the process of partitioning the cytoplasm of a dividing cell, thereby completing mitosis. Cytokinesis in the plant cell is achieved by the formation of a new cell wall between daughter nuclei using components carried in Golgi-derived vesicles that accumulate at the midplane of the phragmoplast and fuse to form the cell plate. Proteins that play major roles in the development of the cell plate in plant cells are not well defined. Here, we report that an AP180 amino-terminal homology/epsin amino-terminal homology domain-containing protein from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) is involved in clathrin-coated vesicle formation from the cell plate. Arabidopsis Epsin-like Clathrin Adaptor1 (AtECA1; At2g01600) and its homologous proteins AtECA2 and AtECA4 localize to the growing cell plate in cells undergoing cytokinesis and also to the plasma membrane and endosomes in nondividing cells. AtECA1 (At2g01600) does not localize to nascent cell plates but localizes at higher levels to expanding cell plates even after the cell plate fuses with the parental plasma membrane. The temporal and spatial localization patterns of AtECA1 overlap most closely with those of the clathrin light chain. In vitro protein interaction assays revealed that AtECA1 binds to the clathrin H chain via its carboxyl-terminal domain. These results suggest that these AP180 amino-terminal homology/epsin amino-terminal homology domain-containing proteins, AtECA1, AtECA2, and AtECA4, may function as adaptors of clathrin-coated vesicles budding from the cell plate.
Randomised clinical trial: simvastatin as adjuvant therapy improves significantly the Helicobacter pylori eradication rate ‐ a placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Nseir W. , Diab H. , Mahamid M. , Abu‐Elheja O. , Samara M. , Abid A. , Mograbi J.
Published: May 2012

Background

The eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori with standard treatments are decreasing worldwide.

Aim

To determine whether adding simvastatin as adjuvant to triple regimen in patients with H. pylori infection will improve the eradication rate.

Methods

We conducted a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, randomised clinical trial comparing a 7‐day, triple eradication regimen consisting of two antibiotics (clarithromycin 500 mg and amoxicillin 1 g, all twice per day) plus a proton pump inhibitor (omeprazole 20 mg twice daily) supplemented with simvastatin 20 mg (CAO + S) or a comparable placebo (CAO + P). Both the simvastatin and the placebo were taken orally twice daily for 1 week in 113 patients with H. pylori infection. The presence of H. pylori was determined by positive rapid urease test and histology. Eradication was confirmed by 13C‐urea breath test at least 1 month after treatment. Adverse effects were assessed by questionnaire.

Results

A total of 113 patients underwent randomisation. Intention‐to‐treat analysis (ITT; n = 113) eradication rates were: CAO + S (86%; 95% CI: 78–92%), CAO + P (69%; 95% CI: 64–74%). Per protocol analysis (PP; n = 108) eradication rates were: CAO + S (91%; 95% CI: 84–94%), CAO + P (72%; 95% CI: 65–78%). Eradication rates were higher with CAO + S than CAO + P in PP and ITT (P = 0.03, P = 0.04 respectively). No differences were demonstrated between the two groups concerning compliance or adverse effects.

Conclusion

In this randomised clinical trial simvastatin as adjuvant to standard therapy improves significantly the H. pylori eradication rate.
Applying critical social work in direct practice with families
Authors: Weiss‐Gal Idit , Levin Lia , Krumer‐Nevo Michal
Published: May 2012

This paper seeks to further discourse concerning the implications of critical social work for direct practice with families and children. It presents and discusses a hypothetical example of how a social worker in a social care agency in Israel can incorporate critical social work notions into an official social work report. The paper begins by presenting key concepts in critical social work, their manifestations in practice and their implications for official social work reports. It then presents a mock report informed by critical social work ideas and discusses its structure and contents. The mock report provides an example of how abstract notions central to critical social work can be actualized. The paper thus offers practitioners the opportunity for a richer discourse on the contribution of critical social work to direct practice with families and children.
Identification of CHD7S as a novel splicing variant of CHD7 with functions similar and antagonistic to those of the full‐length CHD7L
Authors: Kita Yasuyuki , Nishiyama Masaaki , Nakayama Keiichi I.
Published: May 2012

CHD7 is one of the nine members of the chromodomain helicase DNA‐binding family of ATP‐dependent chromatin remodeling enzymes. Mutations in CHD7 give rise to CHARGE syndrome, a human condition characterized by malformation of various organs. We have now identified a novel transcript of CHD7 that is generated by alternative splicing of exon 6. The protein encoded by this variant transcript (termed CHD7S) lacks one of the two chromodomains as well as the helicase/ATPase domain, DNA‐binding domain and BRK domains of the full‐length protein (CHD7L). CHD7S was found to localize specifically to the nucleolus in a manner dependent on a nucleolar localization signal. Over‐expression of CHD7S, as well as that of CHD7L, resulted in an increase in 45S precursor rRNA production. Conversely, depletion of both CHD7S and CHD7L by RNA interference inhibited both 45S precursor rRNA production and cell proliferation to a greater extent than did depletion of CHD7L alone. Furthermore, we found that, like CHD7L, CHD7S binds to Sox2 in the nucleoplasm. Unexpectedly, however, whereas over‐expression of CHD7L promoted Sox2‐mediated transcriptional regulation, over‐expression of CHD7S suppressed it. These results indicate that CHD7S functions cooperatively or antagonistically with CHD7L in the nucleolus and nucleoplasm, respectively.
Protein phosphatase 1 is involved in IL‐2‐induced IL‐5 and IL‐13 expression in human T cells
Authors: Yamaoka Kazuko , Kaminuma Osamu , Kitamura Noriko , Mori Akio , Tatsumi Hideki , Nemoto Soichi , Hiroi Takachika
Published: May 2012

IL‐2 plays an important role in immunological and other biological functions. This cytokine directly induces the production of several cytokines, such as IL‐5 and IL‐13. The mechanisms of IL‐2‐mediated cytokine synthesis are mostly unclear; however, the involvement of IL‐2 receptor (IL‐2R)β has been suggested. In this study, the signaling molecule downstream of IL‐2Rβ was investigated, employing a proteomic approach. Full‐length IL‐2Rβ and its mutant in which the intracellular component was truncated were introduced in an IL‐2Rα‐ and IL‐2Rγ‐stably transfected T cell hybridoma, S1. The differential phosphorylation profiles of protein tyrosine residues in these cells upon IL‐2 stimulation were examined by two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis. The candidate phosphoproteins of interest were re‐covered, in‐gel digested and mass spectrometry fingerprinted. Among proteins specifically phosphorylated in full‐length IL‐2Rβ‐expressing cells in response to IL‐2 stimulation, protein phosphatase (PP)1β and FK506‐binding protein 4 were identified. Particularly, PP1β augmented IL‐5 and IL‐13 expression stimulated by IL‐2 but not by anti‐CD3 antibody in human peripheral CD4+ T cells upon ectopic expression. IL‐2‐induced cytokine expression was suppressed by overexpression of PP1 regulatory subunit 2. A PP1 inhibitor, tautomycin, but not a PP2A inhibitor, okadaic acid, also inhibited the IL‐2R‐mediated responses. It was conclusively shown that PP1 is crucially involved in IL‐2‐mediated IL‐5 and IL‐13 synthesis in human T cells.
CD34+ megakaryocytes (≥30%) are associated with megaloblastic anaemia and non‐acute myeloid neoplasia
Authors: Insuasti‐Beltran Giovanni , Steidler Nichole L , Kang Huining , Reichard Kaaren K
Published: May 2012

Insuasti‐Beltran G, Steidler N L, Kang H & Reichard K K  (2012) Histopathology 61, 694–701

CD34+ megakaryocytes (≥30%) are associated with megaloblastic anaemia and non‐acute myeloid neoplasia

Aims:  To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of CD34 staining of megakaryocytes (MKs), in order to distinguish non‐neoplastic and neoplastic bone marrows (BMs).

Methods and results:  Three hundred BMs (120 non‐neoplastic and 180 neoplastic) were evaluated for percentage and intensity of CD34 staining of MKs. The selected non‐neoplastic cases included anaemia, autoimmune conditions, immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and staging BMs. The neoplastic cases included myelodysplastic syndromes and/or myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS, MPN, MDS/MPN). Eight per cent of non‐neoplastic (9/120) cases and 13% of neoplastic (24/180) cases showed ≥30% CD34+ MKs, and these were essentially restricted to cases of megaloblastic anaemia (MBA) and non‐acute myeloid neoplasms. The finding of ≥30% CD34+ MKs did not distinguish between categories of non‐acute myeloid neoplasms. MDS cases with ≥30% CD34+ MKs had lower platelet counts than cases with <30% (P = 0.03).

Conclusions:  In complex BM cases, the presence of ≥30% CD34+ MKs constitutes a potentially useful diagnostic tool with which to distinguish non‐acute myeloid neoplasms and MBA from non‐MBA reactive conditions, for minimal additional cost.
Molecular ecology and adaptation of visual photopigments in craniates
Authors: DAVIES WAYNE I. L. , COLLIN SHAUN P. , HUNT DAVID M.
Published: May 2012

In craniates, opsin‐based photopigments expressed in the eye encode molecular ‘light sensors’ that constitute the initial protein in photoreception and the activation of the phototransduction cascade. Since the cloning and sequencing of the first vertebrate opsin gene (bovine rod opsin) nearly 30 years ago (Ovchinnikov Yu 1982, FEBS Letters, 148, 179–191; Hargrave et al. 1983, Biophysics of Structure & Mechanism, 9, 235–244; Nathans & Hogness 1983, Cell, 34, 807–814), it is now well established that variation in the subtypes and spectral properties of the visual pigments that mediate colour and dim‐light vision is a prevalent mechanism for the molecular adaptation to diverse light environments. In this review, we discuss the origins and spectral tuning of photopigments that first arose in the agnathans to sample light within the ancient aquatic landscape of the Early Cambrian, detailing the molecular changes that subsequently occurred in each of the opsin classes independently within the main branches of extant jawed gnathostomes. Specifically, we discuss the adaptive changes that have occurred in the photoreceptors of craniates as they met the ecological challenges to survive in quite differing photic niches, including brightly lit aquatic surroundings; the deep sea; the transition to and from land; diurnal, crepuscular and nocturnal environments; and light‐restricted fossorial settings. The review ends with a discussion of the limitations inherent to the ‘nocturnal‐bottleneck’ hypothesis relevant to the evolution of the mammalian visual system and a proposition that transition through a ‘mesopic‐bottleneck’ may be a more appropriate model.
Concentration‐dependent mechanisms of cell penetration and killing by the de novo designed antifungal hexapeptide PAF26
Authors: Muñoz Alberto , Marcos Jose F. , Read Nick D.
Published: May 2012

Recent evidence indicates that antimicrobial peptides can kill microbes in more complex ways than just by membrane permeabilization. In this study, the mechanism of internalization of the de novo designed cationic hexapeptide PAF26 has been characterized in detail using Neurospora crassa. Live‐cell imaging of fluorescently labelled PAF26, organelle probes and mutants indicate that the peptide is endocytically internalized at low fungicidal concentrations (2.0–5 µM). At these concentrations, PAF26 initially accumulated in vacuoles that expanded, and then was actively transported into the cytoplasm, which coincided with cell death. Deletion mutants of the endocytic proteins RVS‐161, RVS‐167 and RAB‐5 exhibited reduced rates of PAF26 internalization and fungicidal activity. Pharmacological experiments with live‐cell probes showed that PAF26 internalization and antifungal action at low fungicidal concentrations was energy‐dependent, primarily actin‐mediated, and disrupted intracellular calcium homeostasis. PAF26 antifungal activity at low concentrations was shown to rely on its endocytic internalization. PAF26 also induced plasma membrane depolarization which, however, was independent of peptide internalization and killing of fungal cells. At high fungicidal concentrations (20 µM), PAF26 internalization was energy‐independent, suggesting the involvement of passive peptide translocation. Our results provide new mechanistic insights into the mode‐of‐action of small cationic antimicrobial peptides that should facilitate improvements in their design.
Chloroplast‐targeted bacterial RecA proteins confer tolerance to chloroplast DNA damage by methyl viologen or UV‐C radiation in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants
Authors: Jeon Hyesung , Jin Yong‐Mei , Choi Mi Hwa , Lee Hyeyun , Kim Minkyun
Published: May 2012

The nature and importance of the DNA repair system in the chloroplasts of higher plants under oxidative stress or UV radiation‐induced genotoxicity was investigated via gain‐of‐functional approaches exploiting bacterial RecAs. For this purpose, transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants and cell suspensions overexpressing Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa RecA fused to a chloroplast‐targeting transit peptide were first produced. The transgenic tobacco plants maintained higher amounts of chloroplast DNA compared with wild‐type (WT) upon treatments with methyl viologen (MV), a herbicide that generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) in chloroplasts. Consistent with these results, the transgenic tobacco leaves showed less bleaching than WT following MV exposure. Similarly, the MV‐treated transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the chloroplast RecA homologue RECA1 showed weak bleaching, while the recA1 mutant showed opposite results upon MV treatment. In addition, when exposed to UV‐C radiation, the dark‐grown E. coli RecA‐overexpressing transgenic tobacco cell suspensions, but not their WT counterparts, resumed growth and greening after the recovery period under light conditions. Measurements of UV radiation‐induced chloroplast DNA damage using DraI assays (Harlow et al. 1994) with the chloroplast rbcL DNA probe and quantitative PCR analyses showed that the transgenic cell suspensions better repaired their UV‐C radiation‐induced chloroplast DNA lesions compared with WT. Taken all together, it was concluded that RecA‐overexpressing transgenic plants are endowed with an increased chloroplast DNA maintenance capacity and enhanced repair activities, and consequently have a higher survival tolerance to genotoxic stresses. These observations are made possible by the functional compatibility of the bacterial RecAs in chloroplasts.
Validation of a nested error component model to estimate damage caused by corn rootworm larvae
Authors: Tinsley N. A. , Estes R. E. , Gray M. E.
Published: May 2012

The corn rootworm complex (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) constitutes a significant threat to maize production in the United States, and more recently, in Europe. We conducted an analysis of readily available field trial data to validate an existing damage function for corn rootworm larvae. We used a nested error component model with unbalanced panel data to describe the relationship between yield loss and root injury caused by these insects. These data were collected by personnel with the Insect Management and Insecticide Evaluation Programme (Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois) and represent 19 location‐years. To our knowledge, this is the largest data set used to estimate a damage function for corn rootworm larvae. Unlike many experiments examining the relationship between root injury and yield loss caused by corn rootworm larvae, the data set used for our analysis includes many Bt maize hybrids. Our model suggests that for each node of roots injured by corn rootworm larvae, a yield loss of approximately 15% can be expected. Statistically significant variance components included an effect of location and experimental error. We speculate that variation in weather across experimental sites was the principal factor contributing to the significant effect of location. The substantial experimental error observed for our model highlights the limitations of utilizing a multi‐year, geographically diverse damage function for predicting yield loss because of root injury on a small scale. We discuss major factors contributing to the variance components estimated by our model and suggest techniques for improving future analyses of the damage function for corn rootworm larvae.
Improvement in imidazolinone resistance in Cicer species by induced mutation
Authors: Toker Cengiz , Canci Huseyin , Inci Nisa E. , Ceylan Fatma O.
Published: May 2012

With 1 figure and 1 table

Yield of the cultivated chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) can be doubled when the sowing time is shifted from spring to autumn in the Mediterranean region; however, weeds are one of the most important and unsolved problems in autumn‐sown or irrigated chickpea. To solve weed problem, improvement in herbicide resistance has given priority for effective weed management by the farmers. This study deals with the selection of resistance to imidazolinone (IMI) using induced mutagenesis in three Cicer species including five ‘macrosperma’ (ILC 8617, CA 2969, Sierra, Mexican white and Spanish), four ‘microsperma’ (ICC 552, ICC 4951, ICC 4958 and ICC 6119) chickpeas as well as three accessions of annual wild species, one accession of C. bijugum K.H. Rech. and two accessions of C. reticulatum Ladiz., in the field and pot experiments. At the first time, one highly IMI‐resistant mutant of C. reticulatum was isolated after active ingredient of IMI on proposed dose was applied with increasing 10 times in field and 20 times in pot experiments. Bottleneck because of weeds on autumn‐sown and irrigated chickpea will be solved using the new gene in plant breeding programmes.
Unilateral Seminoma in a Dromedary Camel
Authors: Ali A , Ahmed AF , Mehana EE , El‐Tookhy O , Al‐Hawas A
Published: May 2012

Contents

A 10‐year‐old, clinically healthy, male dromedary camel had presented a history of progressive unilateral testicular enlargement over the past 5 years. The animal had mated with 32 females during that period; all had conceived. The sex ratio of his offspring was one male to 31 females. Ultrasound examination of the right testicle revealed a diffusely heterogeneous parenchyma with no identifiable normal testicular tissue. The enlarged testicle was surgically removed. Macroscopically, the testicle had a glistening pink surface and contained multiple soft, bulging nodules. Histopathologically, a well‐differentiated, diffuse seminoma was diagnosed. In conclusion, this study describes the fertility, sex ratio, clinical findings and ultrasonographic imaging in a male dromedary camel affected with unilateral testicular seminoma.
Anal skin tags: removal made simple
Authors: Spanos C. P.
Published: May 2012

Aim  Anal skin tags are a common finding. They are found in one‐third of patients with bening anal disorders. We describe a simple method of anal skin tag removal during stapled anopexy. This involves utilizing the circular anal dilator provided with the stapling kit.

Method  Skin tags are brought through the perforations of the circular anal dilator of the stapling kit. The skin tags are removed by cautery.

Results  Minimal pain has been noticed in patients under going this procedure.

Conclusion  Anal skin tags can be removed in a simple manner using components provided with the stapling kit. We decribe a simple method of anal skin tag removal during stapled anopexy. This involves utilizing the circular anal dilator provided with the stapling kit.
Dapagliflozin has no effect on markers of bone formation and resorption or bone mineral density in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus on metformin
Authors: Ljunggren Ö. , Bolinder J. , Johansson L. , Wilding J. , Langkilde A. M. , Sjöström C. D. , Sugg J. , Parikh S.
Published: May 2012

Aims

Dapagliflozin, a selective sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, reduces hyperglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by increasing urinary glucose excretion. Owing to its mechanism of action, dapagliflozin could potentially affect the renal tubular transportation of bone minerals. Therefore, markers of bone formation and resorption and bone mineral density (BMD) were evaluated in patients with T2DM after 50 weeks of dapagliflozin treatment.

Methods

This international, multi‐centre, randomized, parallel‐group, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00855166) enrolled patients with T2DM (women 55–75 years and men 30–75 years; HbA1c 6.5–8.5%; BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2; body weight ≤ 120 kg) whose T2DM was inadequately controlled on metformin. One hundred and eighty‐two patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive dapagliflozin 10 mg/day or placebo added to open‐label metformin for a 24‐week double‐blind treatment period followed by a 78‐week site‐ and patient‐blinded extension period. At week 50, serum markers of bone formation (procollagen type 1 N‐terminal propeptide; P1NP) and resorption (C‐terminal cross‐linking telopeptides of type I collagen; CTX), bone mineral density (BMD) as assessed by standardized Dual‐Energy X‐ray Absorptiometry (DXA) measurements and adverse events of fracture were evaluated as safety objectives.

Results

One hundred and sixty‐five patients (90.7%) completed the first 50 weeks. Compared with placebo, no significant changes from baseline in P1NP, CTX or BMD were identified over 50 weeks of dapagliflozin treatment, with no significant treatment‐by‐gender interactions. No fractures were reported.

Conclusions

Dapagliflozin had no effect on markers of bone formation and resorption or BMD after 50 weeks of treatment in both male and post‐menopausal female patients whose T2DM was inadequately controlled on metformin.
WAGES, RENTS, AND HETEROGENEOUS MOVING COSTS
Authors: KRUPKA DOUGLAS J. , DONALDSON KWAME N.
Published: May 2012

The model of compensating differentials in regional labor and land markets was formalized byRoback (1982). The model interprets regional differences in constant quality wages and rents as compensating firms and residents for inter‐regional differences in amenities. This paper extends the Roback model to allow for moving costs which vary among a city's residents and businesses. This modification of the model generates new interpretations of regional differences in rents and wages. The theoretical results suggest that the interpretation of inter‐city rent and wage differentials as compensating is misguided, that such differentials are inappropriate as weights in Quality of Life (QOL) comparisons, and stresses the importance of local housing market parameters in the determination of these differentials. The importance of amenities is retained, but housing supply becomes the main other determinant of regional rents. Housing supply was ignored in the literature following on Roback's initial insight. We show that interactions between amenities and housing supply will bias QOL rankings. Finally, we support the empirical importance of heterogeneous moving costs by demonstrating the effects of exogenous supply constraints on local housing prices.(JELR31)
Obesity and pulmonary disease: unanswered questions
Authors: Santamaria F. , Montella S. , Pietrobelli A.
Published: May 2012

Obesity is associated with risk of pulmonary disease, and adversely affects lung function. The parallel increase in obesity and asthma suggests the two conditions are linked; indeed, they can worsen each other. Obesity and inadequate asthma control are associated with poor quality of life, and place a high economic burden on public health. Although the obesity–lung interaction is a major issue for basic research and clinical studies, various questions remain unanswered. Do intrauterine and early life factors impact on the development of obesity and lung disease? If so, can this be prevented? Asthma is generally more severe in obese subjects, but is adiposity a driver of a new asthma phenotype that features greater morbidity and mortality, worse control and decreased response to medications? Obese individuals have small lung volumes, hence their airway calibre is reduced and airway resistance is increased. What puzzles physicians is whether peripheral airways undergo remodelling, which would increase bronchoconstriction. Obese asthmatics respond suboptimally to anti‐inflammatory treatment, which raises the question: ‘what drug for what patient?’ Life expectancy is decreased in obesity and in chronic pulmonary disorders, but does obesity protect against or trigger chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? The time has come to find answers to these questions.
Cultural and Institutional Determinants of Social Dominance Orientation: A Cross‐Cultural Meta‐Analysis of 27 Societies
Authors: Fischer Ronald , Hanke Katja , Sibley Chris G.
Published: May 2012

We investigate macrocontextual antecedents of national levels of Social Dominance Orientation (SDO). The majority of previous research, in contrast, has tended to focus on individual‐level correlates of SDO. We extend research on Social Dominance Theory by modelling national‐level differences in institutional discrimination, macroeconomic development, and value ideologies as broad situational factors affecting SDO mean levels in previous studies. Our hypotheses were tested in a three‐level meta‐analysis of aggregate data from 50,971 individuals in 95 samples from 27 different societies. Strong effects for hierarchy‐attenuating legitimizing ideologies and gender empowerment were found. Aggregate discrimination against arbitrary‐set groups was less consistently linked to SDO, suggesting that these hierarchies are context‐specific. Using mixed‐effects three‐level modelling, the patterns can be generalized to new contexts and suggest a particular institutional and social climate that fosters high SDO.
Citizens' attitudes towards economic insecurity and government after the 2007 financial tsunami: A Hong Kong and Taiwan comparison
Authors: Wang Kate Yeong‐Tsyr , Wong Chack‐Kie , Tang Kwong‐Leung
Published: May 2012

Wang KY‐T, Wong C‐k, Tang K‐L. Citizens' attitudes towards economic insecurity and government after the 2007 financial tsunami: A Hong Kong and Taiwan comparison

The purpose of this study was to investigate people's attitudes to economic insecurity and government in Hong Kong and Taiwan after the financial tsunami of 2007. Random sampling telephone surveys were conducted in July 2009. These are the main conclusions: First, the most vulnerable groups hurt by the financial crisis were low‐income families and people who had lost their job or were afraid of losing it. This implies that the old policy issue of social stratification and the emerging policy issue of employment insecurity coexisted during the financial crisis. Second, personal experiences of economic insecurity had an influence on people's perceptions of the severity of the economic crisis at the societal level. Third, citizens had ambivalent feelings about public interventions during the crisis. Fourth, there were both convergence and divergence between Hong Kong and Taiwan with regard to attitudes to particular issues. The policy implications of these findings are discussed in the final section of this article.