bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
OnGuard, a Computational Platform for Quantitative Kinetic Modeling of Guard Cell Physiology
Authors: Hills Adrian , Chen Zhong-Hua , Amtmann Anna , Blatt Michael R. , Lew Virgilio L. 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
Stomatal guard cells play a key role in gas exchange for photosynthesis while minimizing transpirational water loss from plants by opening and closing the stomatal pore. Foliar gas exchange has long been incorporated into mathematical models, several of which are robust enough to recapitulate transpirational characteristics at the whole-plant and community levels. Few models of stomata have been developed from the bottom up, however, and none are sufficiently generalized to be widely applicable in predicting stomatal behavior at a cellular level. We describe here the construction of computational models for the guard cell, building on the wealth of biophysical and kinetic knowledge available for guard cell transport, signaling, and homeostasis. The OnGuard software was constructed with the HoTSig library to incorporate explicitly all of the fundamental properties for transporters at the plasma membrane and tonoplast, the salient features of osmolite metabolism, and the major controls of cytosolic-free Ca2+ concentration and pH. The library engenders a structured approach to tier and interrelate computational elements, and the OnGuard software allows ready access to parameters and equations ‘on the fly’ while enabling the network of components within each model to interact computationally. We show that an OnGuard model readily achieves stability in a set of physiologically sensible baseline or Reference States; we also show the robustness of these Reference States in adjusting to changes in environmental parameters and the activities of major groups of transporters both at the tonoplast and plasma membrane. The following article addresses the predictive power of the OnGuard model to generate unexpected and counterintuitive outputs.
Systems Dynamic Modeling of the Stomatal Guard Cell Predicts Emergent Behaviors in Transport, Signaling, and Volume Control
Authors: Chen Zhong-Hua , Hills Adrian , Bätz Ulrike , Amtmann Anna , Lew Virgilio L. , Blatt Michael R. 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
The dynamics of stomatal movements and their consequences for photosynthesis and transpirational water loss have long been incorporated into mathematical models, but none have been developed from the bottom up that are widely applicable in predicting stomatal behavior at a cellular level. We previously established a systems dynamic model incorporating explicitly the wealth of biophysical and kinetic knowledge available for guard cell transport, signaling, and homeostasis. Here we describe the behavior of the model in response to experimentally documented changes in primary pump activities and malate (Mal) synthesis imposed over a diurnal cycle. We show that the model successfully recapitulates the cyclic variations in H+, K+, Cl−, and Mal concentrations in the cytosol and vacuole known for guard cells. It also yields a number of unexpected and counterintuitive outputs. Among these, we report a diurnal elevation in cytosolic-free Ca2+ concentration and an exchange of vacuolar Cl− with Mal, both of which find substantiation in the literature but had previously been suggested to require additional and complex levels of regulation. These findings highlight the true predictive power of the OnGuard model in providing a framework for systems analysis of stomatal guard cells, and they demonstrate the utility of the OnGuard software and HoTSig library in exploring fundamental problems in cellular physiology and homeostasis.
Pleiotropic Phenotypes of the sticky peel Mutant Provide New Insight into the Role of CUTIN DEFICIENT2 in Epidermal Cell Function in Tomato
Authors: Nadakuduti Satya Swathi , Pollard Mike , Kosma Dylan K. , Allen Charles , Ohlrogge John B. , Barry Cornelius S. 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
Plant epidermal cells have evolved specialist functions associated with adaptation to stress. These include the synthesis and deposition of specialized metabolites such as waxes and cutin together with flavonoids and anthocyanins, which have important roles in providing a barrier to water loss and protection against UV radiation, respectively. Characterization of the sticky peel (pe) mutant of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) revealed several phenotypes indicative of a defect in epidermal cell function, including reduced anthocyanin accumulation, a lower density of glandular trichomes, and an associated reduction in trichome-derived terpenes. In addition, pe mutant fruit are glossy and peels have increased elasticity due to a severe reduction in cutin biosynthesis and altered wax deposition. Leaves of the pe mutant are also cutin deficient and the epicuticular waxes contain a lower proportion of long-chain alkanes. Direct measurements of transpiration, together with chlorophyll-leaching assays, indicate increased cuticular permeability of pe leaves. Genetic mapping revealed that the pe locus represents a new allele of CUTIN DEFICIENT2 (CD2), a member of the class IV homeodomain-leucine zipper gene family, previously only associated with cutin deficiency in tomato fruit. CD2 is preferentially expressed in epidermal cells of tomato stems and is a homolog of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) ANTHOCYANINLESS2 (ANL2). Analysis of cuticle composition in leaves of anl2 revealed that cutin accumulates to approximately 60% of the levels observed in wild-type Arabidopsis. Together, these data provide new insight into the role of CD2 and ANL2 in regulating diverse metabolic pathways and in particular, those associated with epidermal cells.
Searching for effective interventions for foster children under stress: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Van Andel Hans W. H. , Grietens Hans , Strijker Johan , Van der Gaag Rutger J. , Knorth Erik J. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTFoster children experience a lot of stress because of their life histories and changes in their family circumstances, such as foster care placement. It is important that foster parents recognize the early signs of stress in foster children and learn how to act in a non‐threatening and understanding manner. Family‐based interventions may help in this. In this paper, we report on a meta‐analysis of studies (n= 19) of the effectiveness of such interventions. All studies used a pre‐test/post‐test design. Both problem behaviour in foster children and the parenting skills of foster parents improved by 30%; however, none of the interventions were specifically intended to help young children (<4 years) to cope with stress. The importance of interventions for young foster children is discussed, as well as the necessary elements these interventions should include.
Parentage‐based pedigree reconstruction reveals female matrilineal clusters and male‐biased dispersal in nongregarious Asian great apes, the Bornean orang‐utans (Pongo pygmaeus)
Authors: ARORA N. , Van NOORDWIJK M. A. , ACKERMANN C. , WILLEMS E. P. , NATER A. , GREMINGER M. , NIETLISBACH P. , DUNKEL L. P. , UTAMI ATMOKO S. S. , PAMUNGKAS JOKO , PERWITASARI‐FARAJALLAH DYAH , Van SCHAIK C. P. , KRÜTZEN M. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractPhilopatry and sex‐biased dispersal have a strong influence on population genetic structure, so the study of species dispersal patterns and evolutionary mechanisms shaping them are of great interest. Particularly nongregarious mammalian species present an underexplored field of study: despite their lower levels of sociality compared to group‐living species, interactions among individuals do occur, providing opportunities for cryptic kin selection. Among the least gregarious primates are orang‐utans (genus:Pongo), in which preferential associations among females have nevertheless been observed, but for which the presence of kin structures was so far unresolved because of the equivocal results of previous genetic studies. To clarify relatedness and dispersal patterns in orang‐utans, we examined the largest longitudinal set of individuals with combined genetic, spatial and behavioural data. We found that males had significantly higher mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation and more unique haplotypes, thus underscoring their different maternal ancestries compared to females. Moreover, pedigree reconstruction based on 24 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers and mtDNA haplotypes demonstrated the presence of three matrilineal clusters of generally highly related females with substantially overlapping ranges. In orang‐utans and possibly other nongregarious species, comparing average biparental relatedness (r) of males and females to infer sex‐biased dispersal is extremely problematic. This is because the opportunistic sampling regime frequently employed in nongregarious species, combined with overlapping space use of distinct matrilineal clusters, leads to a strong downward bias when mtDNA lineage membership is ignored. Thus, in nongregarious species, correct inferences of dispersal can only be achieved by combining several genetic approaches with detailed spatial information.
Mate choice and the genetic basis for colour variation in a polymorphic dart frog: inferences from a wild pedigree
Authors: RICHARDS‐ZAWACKI CORINNE L. , WANG IAN J. , SUMMERS KYLE 
Published: May 2012

AbstractUnderstanding how reproductive barriers evolve during speciation remains an important question in evolution. Divergence in mating preferences may be a common first step in this process. The striking colour pattern diversity of strawberry dart frog (Dendrobates pumilio) populations has likely been shaped by sexual selection. Previous laboratory studies have shown that females attend to male coloration and prefer to court with males of their own colour, suggesting that divergent morphs may be reproductively isolated. To test this hypothesis, we used molecular data to estimate pedigree relationships from a polymorphic population. Whereas in the laboratory both red and yellow females preferred to court with males of their own phenotype, our pedigree shows a pattern of assortative mating only for red females. In the wild, yellow females appear to be less choosy about their mates, perhaps because they incur higher costs associated with searching than females of the more common red phenotype. We also used our pedigree to investigate the genetic basis for colour‐pattern variation. The phenotype frequencies we observed were consistent with those expected if dorsal background coloration is controlled by a single locus, with complete dominance of red over yellow. Our results not only help clarify the role of sexual selection in reducing gene flow, but also shed light on the mechanisms underlying colour‐pattern variation among sympatric colour morphs. The difference we observed between mating preferences measured under laboratory conditions and the pattern of mate choice observed in the wild highlight the importance of field studies for understanding behavioural reproductive isolation.
Survival and differentiation of subspecies of the land snail Charpentieria itala in mountain refuges in the Southern Alps
Authors: SCHEEL BETTINA M. , HAUSDORF BERNHARD 
Published: May 2012

AbstractTwo groups of subspecies of the door snail Charpentieria itala are distributed in a mosaic pattern in the Southern Alps. Some subspecies that morphologically resemble Charpentieria stenzii occur at exposed rocks at higher altitudes, whereas other subspecies live on more humid rocks at lower altitudes. This pattern can be explained by two alternative hypotheses. Either the stenzii‐like or ‘stenzioid’ subspecies have a common origin and represent relicts of an early colonization wave that survived the ice ages in isolated mountain refuges within the Alps, or the geographically isolated stenzioid subspecies evolved through parallel adaptation of C. itala populations to life on exposed rocks. In this study, the first hypothesis could be supported by several lines of evidence. Analyses of amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) data indicated a common origin of the stenzioid subspecies of the Bergamasque Prealps and of the stenzioid subspecies of the Brescia and Garda Prealps, whereas an outlier analysis detected only few AFLP markers that might be under selection. High 16S rDNA distances between subspecies suggest that the divergence of the subspecies predates at least most of the glacials. The occurrences of the stenzioid subspecies are concentrated in mountain areas that were not glaciated during the Last Glacial Maximum. The genetic differentiation and the isolated distribution areas of the stenzioid subspecies indicate that they survived in five separate mountain refuges in the Bergamasque, Brescia and Garda Prealps. In addition, the clustering of the Charpentieria itala latestriata populations from different valleys indicates a low‐altitude refuge.
The ‘porin–cytochrome’ model for microbe‐to‐mineral electron transfer
Authors: Richardson David J. , Butt Julea N. , Fredrickson Jim K. , Zachara John M. , Shi Liang , Edwards Marcus J. , White Gaye , Baiden Nanakow , Gates Andrew J. , Marritt Sophie J. , Clarke Thomas A. 
Published: May 2012

SummaryMany species of bacteria can couple anaerobic growth to the respiratory reduction of insoluble minerals containing Fe(III) or Mn(III/IV). It has been suggested that in Shewanella species electrons cross the outer membrane to extracellular substrates via ‘porin–cytochrome’ electron transport modules. The molecular structure of an outer‐membrane extracellular‐facing deca‐haem terminus for such a module has recently been resolved. It is debated how, once outside the cells, electrons are transferred from outer‐membrane cytochromes to insoluble electron sinks. This may occur directly or by assemblies of cytochromes, perhaps functioning as ‘nanowires’, or via electron shuttles. Here we review recent work in this field and explore whether it allows for unification of the electron transport mechanisms supporting extracellular mineral respiration in Shewanella that may extend into other genera of Gram‐negative bacteria.
‘But is it a question worth asking?’ A reflective case study describing how public involvement can lead to researchers’ ideas being abandoned
Authors: Boote Jonathan D. , Dalgleish Mary , Freeman Janet , Jones Zena , Miles Marianne , Rodgers Helen 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackground  It is good practice for the public to be involved in developing research ideas into grant applications. Some positive accounts of this process have been published, but little is known about when their reactions are negative and when researchers’ ideas are abandoned.Objective  To present a case study account of when an academic‐led idea for funding was not supported by stroke survivors and carers who were asked to contribute to its development, together with a reflection on the implications of the case from all the stakeholders involved.Design  A reflective case study of a research idea, developed by an academic researcher, on which stakeholders were consulted.Participants  University researchers, clinicians, public involvement managers, and stroke survivors and carers from the NIHR’s Stroke Research Network.Findings  Although the idea met with the approval of health professionals, who were keen to develop it into a funding bid, the stroke survivors and carers did not think the idea worth pursuing. This lack of patient and carer support led to the idea being abandoned. Reflecting on this, those involved in the consultation believed that the savings accrued from abandoning the idea, in terms of ensuring that public money is not wasted, should be seen as an important benefit of public involvement in the research process.Conclusion  Little is known about the role of the public in the abandonment of research ideas. We recommend that further research is undertaken into this important contribution that patients and the public can make to health research.
Avoiding piecemeal research on participation in cervical cancer screening: the advantages of a social identity framework
Authors: Tribe Candice , Webb Janine 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackground Cervical cancer screening research has predominantly focused on one type of participation, namely compliance with medical recommendations, and has largely ignored other types of participation. While there is some research that has taken a different approach, findings in this research area are not well integrated under a theoretical framework.Objective The aim of this study is to show how consideration of a broader definition of participation and better integration of the theoretical conceptualization of participation in cervical cancer screening are both possible and desirable to enable a better understanding of women’s experiences of cervical cancer screening specifically and to improve women’s health generally.Main Conclusion It is suggested that alternative types of participation in cervical cancer screening warrant further investigation and that a social identity theoretical approach offers one way of integrating such conceptualizations of participation. The paper also argues for more explicit consideration of the role of social processes and of the variables, such as power, social identity and relational justice, which are involved in participation in cervical cancer screening.
On defensive decision making: how doctors make decisions for their patients
Authors: Garcia‐Retamero Rocio , Galesic Mirta 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackground  In the past decade, the number of lawsuits for medical malpractice has risen significantly. This could affect the way doctors make decisions for their patients.Objective  To investigate whether and why doctors practice defensive medicine with their patients.Design  A questionnaire study was conducted in general practice departments of eight metropolitan hospitals in Spain, between January and February 2010.Setting and participants  Eighty general practitioners (48% men; mean age 52 years) with an average of 15.3 years of experience and their 80 adult patients (42% men; mean age 56 years) participated in the study.Main outcome measurements  Participants completed a self‐administered questionnaire involving choices between a risky and a conservative treatment. One group of doctors made decisions for their patients. Another group of doctors predicted what their patients would decide for themselves. Finally, all doctors and patients made decisions for themselves and described the factors they thought influenced their decisions.Results  Doctors selected much more conservative medical treatments for their patients than for themselves. Most notably, they did so even when they accurately predicted that the patients would select riskier treatments. When asked about the reasons for their decisions, most doctors (93%) reported fear of legal consequences.Discussion and conclusions  Doctors’ decisions for their patients are strongly influenced by concerns of possible legal consequences. Patients therefore cannot blindly follow their doctor’s advice. Our study, however, suggests a plausible method that patients could use to get around this problem: They could simply ask their doctor what he or she would do in the patient’s situation.
Patient participation in the discussions of options in Spanish primary care consultations
Authors: Moral Roger Ruiz , Munguía Lucía Peralta , de Torres Luis Ángel Pérula , Carrión Maria Teresa , Mundet Jorge Olloqui , Martínez Mariana 
Published: May 2012

AbstractObjectivesTo determine patients' participation in the discussion of options in primary care consultations. Identify the patients' wish to participate and their perceptions of their participation and explore the potential factors that may influence these.DesignCross‐sectional study. Setting. Ninety‐seven general practices. Participants. six hundred and fifty‐eight patients who went to their doctors for unselected reasons. Measurements. All the encounters were videoed, patient participation in decision making (DM) was assessed with two tools. After the consultation,GPs completed a questionnaire about biomedical and relational information. Patients' preferences and perception of participation was explored with different type of questions.ResultsEncounters successfully videoed: 638. Of these, only 90 interviews clearly showed patient participation. In 161 other interviews, patient participation was considered possible. Questionnaires collected: 645. In 60% of the situations (390 encounters), patients wished they could have stated their views about the proposed option(s), but they perceived this did not happen. The degree of participation at the consultation did not relate significantly with the physician's ideas about the type of problem, evolution and treatment. Neither did any of the considered variables influence either the patients' wish to participate in the discussion of the suggested option or their perception of this.ConclusionsGPs ask patients for their opinion and promote discussion about the suggested plan in few encounters. Patients perceive this, including many patients that previously had declared not to be interested in being involved in decisions. These results revealed an important mismatch between what patients wish and what they perceive.
Evaluation of serum high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels as a prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients
Authors: Tamura Takafumi , Inagawa Satoshi , Hisakura Katsuji , Enomoto Tsuyoshi , Ohkohchi Nobuhiro 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Although there are some reports of an adverse effect of low serum high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) levels on gastrointestinal cancers, the specific correlation between serum HDL‐C levels and gastric cancer remains unknown.Methods:  Preoperative serum HDL‐C levels were retrospectively examined in 184 patients who had undergone gastrectomy. The patients who had undergone gastrectomy were divided into two groups: the normal‐HDL‐C group and the low‐HDL‐C group. We examined the characteristics and outcomes of these two groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the association between serum HDL‐C levels and gastric cancer.Results:  There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of the progression of gastric cancer. In the low‐HDL‐C group, lymphatic and vascular invasion was significantly increased. The prognosis of the patients in the normal‐HDL‐C group was significantly better than those in the low‐HDL‐C group.Conclusions:  In this study, a positive correlation between low preoperative serum HDL‐C levels and prognosis for gastric cancer was demonstrated. Serum HDL‐C level may be a clinical prognostic factor for gastric cancer patients.