bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Use of Diagnostic Frequency Continuous Ultrasound to Improve Microcirculatory Function After Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Hightower C. Makena , Intaglietta Marcos 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTObjective: Damage to the circulatory system resulting from ischemia–reperfusion injury (I/R injury) occurs during heart attacks and hemorrhagic shock. The authors report a method for mitigating microcirculatory injury, using diagnostic frequency continuous‐mode ultrasound and how effects are influenced by nitric oxide production impairment.Methods: Five groups of hamsters were studied using the dorsal skin fold window chamber: (1) I/R; (2) I/R + ultrasound during ischemia; (3) I/R + ultrasound after ischemia; (4) I/R + Nω‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐NAME); and (5) I/R + l‐NAME + ultrasound. Functional capillary density (FCD) and microvascular diameter, flow velocity, and flow were monitored. During the exposures 2.49 MHz continuous ultrasound was used.Results: Significant improvements in animals exposed to ultrasound after ischemia were found at 24 h of reperfusion in FCD, arteriolar diameter, and arteriolar and venular flow velocity and flow. Animals exposed to ultrasound during ischemia showed significantly improved FCD. l‐NAME treatment reduced the improvement of microvascular function, compared to animals exposed after ischemia.Conclusions: The use of continuous‐mode diagnostic frequency ultrasound is beneficial in preventing long‐term ischemia–reperfusion effects in the microcirculation as shown by the return of microvascular parameters to baseline values, an effect not attained in the absence of ultrasound treatment. The effects may be in part due to the production of nitric oxide consequent to locally induced shear stress effects by ultrasound exposure.
How does a generalist seabird species use its marine habitat? The case of the kelp gull in a coastal upwelling area of the Humboldt Current
Authors: Villablanca Roberto , Luna-Jorquera Guillermo , Marín Victor H. , Garthe Stefan , Simeone Alejandro 
Published: August 2007

AbstractVillablanca, R., Luna-Jorquera, G., Marín, V. H., Garthe, S., and Simeone, A. 2007. How does a generalist seabird species use its marine habitat? The case of the kelp gull in a coastal upwelling area of the Humboldt Current. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 1348–1355. The distribution of kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus) was studied by ship-based transect counts in the SE Pacific Ocean off Chile, South America. Some 96–98% of the kelp gulls were in a band less than 20 km from the coast, mainly near the breeding colony on Pájaros Island and the City of Coquimbo. Abundance did not change significantly among years, but was influenced significantly by distance to land. Principal component analysis yielded two components that jointly explain 53% of the standardized variance. The first (explaining 36% of the variance) includes distance to the nearest coast and water depth, the second (17%) associates with the presence of fishing vessels. The results suggest that the stability of the summer distribution of kelp gulls is generated by the large and semi-permanent offer of food at fish markets and city sewage works, as well as the location of the breeding colonies. Further analysis on other temporal scales (seasonal, decadal) associated with reproductive or non-reproductive changes within the population and/or ENSO cycles will be necessary to confirm the multiscale stability of the pattern described.
Transcriptional Profiling ofhigh pigment-2dgTomato Mutant Links Early Fruit Plastid Biogenesis with Its Overproduction of Phytonutrients
Authors: Kolotilin Igor , Koltai Hinanit , Tadmor Yaakov , Bar-Or Carmiya , Reuveni Moshe , Meir Ayala , Nahon Sahadia , Shlomo Haviva , Chen Lea , Levin Ilan 
Published: August 2007

AbstractPhenotypes of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) high pigment-2dg (hp-2dg) and hp-2j mutants are caused by lesions in the gene encoding DEETIOLATED1, a negative regulator of light signaling. Homozygous hp-2dg and hp-2j plants display a plethora of distinctive developmental and metabolic phenotypes in comparison to their normal isogenic counterparts. These mutants are, however, best known for the increased levels of carotenoids, primarily lycopene, and other plastid-accumulating functional metabolites. In this study we analyzed the transcriptional alterations in mature-green, breaker, and early red fruits of hp-2dg/hp-2dg plants in relation to their normal counterparts using microarray technology. Results show that a large portion of the genes that are affected by hp-2dg mutation display a tendency for up- rather than down-regulation. Ontology assignment of these differentially regulated transcripts revealed a consistent up-regulation of transcripts related to chloroplast biogenesis and photosynthesis in hp-2dg mutants throughout fruit ripening. A tendency of up-regulation was also observed in structural genes involved in phytonutrient biosynthesis. However, this up-regulation was not as consistent, positioning plastid biogenesis as an important determinant of phytonutrient overproduction in hp-2dg and possibly other hp mutant fruits. Microscopic observations revealed a highly significant increase in chloroplast size and number in pericarp cells of mature-green hp-2dg/hp-2dg and hp-2j/hp-2j fruits in comparison to their normal counterparts. This increase could be observed from early stages of fruit development. Therefore, the molecular trigger that drives phytonutrient overproduction in hp-2dg and hp-2j mutant fruits should be initially traced at these early stages.
Genetic and Molecular Regulation by DELLA Proteins of Trichome Development in Arabidopsis
Authors: Gan Yinbo , Yu Hao , Peng Jinrong , Broun Pierre 
Published: August 2007

AbstractGibberellins (GA) are known to influence phase change in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) as well as the development of trichomes, which are faithful epidermal markers of shoot maturation. They modulate these developmental programs in part by antagonizing DELLA repressors of growth, GIBBERELLIC ACID INSENSITIVE (GAI) and REPRESSOR OF ga1-3 (RGA). In this study, we have probed the relative roles played by RGA, GAI, and two homologs, RGA-LIKE1 (RGL1) and RGL2, in these processes and investigated molecular mechanisms through which they influence epidermal differentiation. We found that the DELLAs act collectively to regulate trichome initiation on all aerial organs and that the onset of their activity is accompanied by the repression of most genes known to regulate trichome production. These effects are consistent with the results of genetic analysis, which conclusively place theses genes downstream of the DELLAs. We find that repression of trichome regulatory genes is rapid, but involves an indirect, rather than a direct, molecular mechanism, which requires de novo protein synthesis. DELLA activity also influences postinitiation events and we show that GAI is a major repressor of trichome branching, a role in which it is antagonized by RGL1 and RGL2. Finally, we report that, in contrast to most other effects, the repression by GA applications of flower trichome initiation is not dependent on RGA, GAI, RGL1, or RGL2. In summary, our data show that DELLA proteins are central to trichome development in Arabidopsis and that their effect can be largely explained by their transcriptional influence on trichome initiation activators.
Golgi Regeneration after Brefeldin A Treatment in BY-2 Cells Entails Stack Enlargement and Cisternal Growth followed by Division
Authors: Langhans Markus , Hawes Chris , Hillmer Stefan , Hummel Eric , Robinson David G. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractBrefeldin A (BFA) treatment stops secretion and leads to the resorption of much of the Golgi apparatus into the endoplasmic reticulum. This effect is reversible upon washing out the drug, providing a situation for studying Golgi biogenesis. In this investigation Golgi regeneration in synchronized tobacco BY-2 cells was followed by electron microscopy and by the immunofluorescence detection of ARF1, which localizes to the rims of Golgi cisternae and serves as an indicator of COPI vesiculation. Beginning as clusters of vesicles that are COPI positive, mini-Golgi stacks first become recognizable 60 min after BFA washout. They continue to increase in terms of numbers and length of cisternae for a further 90 min before overshooting the size of control Golgi stacks. As a result, increasing numbers of dividing Golgi stacks were observed 120 min after BFA washout. BFA-regeneration experiments performed on cells treated with BFA (10 μg mL−1) for only short periods (30–45 min) showed that the formation of ER-Golgi hybrid structures, once initiated by BFA treatment, is an irreversible process, the further incorporation of Golgi membranes into the ER continuing during a subsequent drug washout. Application of the protein kinase A inhibitor H-89, which effectively blocks the reassembly of the Golgi apparatus in mammalian cells, also prevented stack regeneration in BY-2 cells, but only at very high, almost toxic concentrations (&gt;200 μ m). Our data suggest that under normal conditions mitosis-related Golgi stack duplication may likely occur via cisternal growth followed by fission.
Yeast-Plant Coupled Vector System for Identification of Nuclear Proteins
Authors: Zaltsman Adi , Yi Bu-Young , Krichevsky Alexander , Gafni Yedidya , Citovsky Vitaly 
Published: August 2007

Abstract
Nuclear proteins are involved in many critical biological processes within plant cells and, therefore, are in the focus of studies that usually begin with demonstrating that the protein of interest indeed exhibits nuclear localization. Thus, studies of plant nuclear proteins would be facilitated by a convenient experimental system for identification of proteins that are actively imported into the cell nucleus and visualization of their nuclear accumulation in vivo. To this end, we developed a system of vectors that allows screening for cDNAs coding for nuclear proteins in a simple genetic assay in yeast cells, and verification of nuclear accumulation in planta following one-step transfer and autofluorescent tagging of the identified clones into a multiple cloning site-compatible and reading frame-compatible plant expression vector. In a recommended third experimental step, the plant expression cassette containing the identified clone can be transferred, also by a one-step cloning, into a binary multigene expression vector for transient or stable coexpression with any other proteins.
Magnaporthe grisea Cutinase2 Mediates Appressorium Differentiation and Host Penetration and Is Required for Full Virulence
Authors: Skamnioti Pari , Gurr Sarah J. 
Published: August 2007

Abstract
The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea infects its host by forming a specialized infection structure, the appressorium, on the plant leaf. The enormous turgor pressure generated within the appressorium drives the emerging penetration peg forcefully through the plant cuticle. Hitherto, the involvement of cutinase(s) in this process has remained unproven. We identified a specific M. grisea cutinase, CUT2, whose expression is dramatically upregulated during appressorium maturation and penetration. The cut2 mutant has reduced extracellular cutin-degrading and Ser esterase activity, when grown on cutin as the sole carbon source, compared with the wild-type strain. The cut2 mutant strain is severely less pathogenic than the wild type or complemented cut2/CUT2 strain on rice (Oryza sativa) and barley (Hordeum vulgare). It displays reduced conidiation and anomalous germling morphology, forming multiple elongated germ tubes and aberrant appressoria on inductive surfaces. We show that Cut2 mediates the formation of the penetration peg but does not play a role in spore or appressorium adhesion, or in appressorial turgor generation. Morphological and pathogenicity defects in the cut2 mutant are fully restored with exogenous application of synthetic cutin monomers, cAMP, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, and diacylglycerol (DAG). We propose that Cut2 is an upstream activator of cAMP/protein kinase A and DAG/protein kinase C signaling pathways that direct appressorium formation and infectious growth in M. grisea. Cut2 is therefore required for surface sensing leading to correct germling differentiation, penetration, and full virulence in this model fungus.
Auxin Synthesized by the YUCCA Flavin Monooxygenases Is Essential for Embryogenesis and Leaf Formation inArabidopsis
Authors: Cheng Youfa , Dai Xinhua , Zhao Yunde 
Published: August 2007

AbstractAuxin plays a key role in embryogenesis and seedling development, but the auxin sources for the two processes are not defined. Here, we demonstrate that auxin synthesized by the YUCCA (YUC) flavin monooxygenases is essential for the establishment of the basal body region during embryogenesis and the formation of embryonic and postembryonic organs. Both YUC1 and YUC4 are expressed in discrete groups of cells throughout embryogenesis, and their expression patterns overlap with those of YUC10 and YUC11 during embryogenesis. The quadruple mutants of yuc1 yuc4 yuc10 yuc11 fail to develop a hypocotyl and a root meristem, a phenotype similar to those of mp and tir1 afb1 afb2 afb3 auxin signaling mutants. We further show that YUC genes play an essential role in the formation of rosette leaves by analyzing combinations of yuc mutants and the polar auxin transport mutants pin1 and aux1. Disruption of YUC1, YUC4, or PIN1 alone does not abolish leaf formation, but the triple mutant yuc1 yuc4 pin1 fails to form leaves and flowers. Furthermore, disruption of auxin influx carrier AUX1 in the quadruple mutant yuc1 yuc2 yuc4 yuc6, but not in wild-type background, phenocopies yuc1 yuc4 pin1, demonstrating that auxin influx is required for plant leaf and flower development. Our data demonstrate that auxin synthesized by the YUC flavin monooxygenases is an essential auxin source for Arabidopsis thaliana embryogenesis and postembryonic organ formation.
Trust in senior management in the public sector
Authors: Pate Judy , Beaumont Phillip , Stewart Sandra 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the important issue of trust in senior management in the public sector. More specifically, the research aims to explore to what extent has there been a downward spiral of trust in public sector senior management in the eyes of their employees in recent years, and whether this trend spans the public sector as a whole.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on both quantitative and qualitative methodologies from two public sector organisations, which are of very different character. The question being asking of the data is whether a relatively similar percentage of the workforce lacks trust in senior management and whether this is for essentially the same reasons. An attitude survey of the population of both case study organisations was conducted in conjunction with focus groups.FindingsThe findings in the paper revealed two important matters. First, longitudinal data indicates that relative distrust of senior management is enduring and cannot be explained or rationalised by merely a short‐term breakdown of communication. The second conclusion from the data is that although the two case study organisations had dramatically different structural characteristics, histories and workforce compositions, the degree of lack of trust in senior management was remarkably similar both as regards extent and leading cause of this.Practical implicationsThe findings from two very different public sector organisations suggest that there is a persistent lack of trust in senior management. This finding has important implications for managing the workforce as a lack of trust has significant implications for employee attitudes and behaviour.Originality/valueThis paper raises some important concerns with regards to the quality of the employee‐employer relationship in the public sector.
The influence of service climate and job involvement on customer‐oriented organizational citizenship behavior in Greek service organizations: a survey
Authors: Dimitriades Zoe S. 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the usefulness and to highlight the nature of inter‐relationship(s) between service climate and job involvement in impacting customer‐focused organizational citizenship behaviors of frontline employees in a diverse cultural context, at the crossroads of East and West.Design/methodology/approachBuilding on organizational citizenship behavior literature, the present study in the paper involved customer‐contact personnel employed in five service industries in a Greek mid‐sized town. Questionnaires were administered in person by the researcher during regularly scheduled meetings on company premises. A total of 269 individuals were invited to participate in the study. Participation was voluntary. The response rate was 74 percent. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability‐, correlation‐ path‐ and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test research hypotheses.FindingsThe findings in this paper indicate that the concept of customer‐oriented organizational citizenship behavior (CO‐OCB) is a useful construct in the Greek context. Both direct and indirect influences and interactive effects were identified. Indeed, results indicate that the relationship between job involvement and service climate in impacting CO‐OCBs is complex (moderated mediation or mediated moderation?), warranting further investigation.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings in the paper are limited by the sampling method and the specificity of the geographic context. It would be of interest to enhance the theoretical model by incorporating more individual, task, organizational and contextual variables.Practical implicationsThe study in this paper demonstrates the important effects of service climate and job involvement on frontline employees' customer‐oriented organizational citizenship behaviors in Greek service organizations. Service managers should benefit from noting the links and the likely favorable outcomes for customers, employees and their organizations.Originality/valueThe paper provides empirical evidence of the applicability of the CO‐OCB construct in Greek service contexts and illuminates the complex nature of inter‐relationships between organizational climate for service and job involvement in predicting customer‐oriented organizational citizenship behaviors, expanding the OCB literature.
Building high performance employment relationships in small firms
Authors: Atkinson Carol 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to present research into the employment relationship in small firms and to examine its link to high performance. A psychological contract framework is adopted, it being argued that this supports a more nuanced analysis than existing perspectives on the small firm employment relationship which are limited and do not give sufficient insight into performance issues.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs a case study approach, carrying out 41 interviews involving both owner managers and employees in three firms. A critical incident technique (CIT) is adopted in the interviews.FindingsThe paper finds that high performance derives from a relational psychological contract and that transactional contracts impact negatively on performance. It is also demonstrated that, contrary to what is implied in much of the existing small firm literature, small firms are capable of building relational contracts.Research limitationsThe research in this paper is drawn from a small‐scale study and is not generalisable. It does, however, provide a basis for a more detailed study of the small firm employment relationship.Practical implicationsThe research in the paper demonstrates the value of building a relational psychological contract in order to drive high performance. It also gives insight into how this can be done in the small firm context and the importance of the owner manager approach to this.Originality/valueThe paper presents more nuanced ways of exploring the small firm employment relationship than already exist and also considers the issue of performance, which is under‐researched in this context.
Robot kinematics and the Gantry‐Tau parallel machine
Authors: Hunt James A. 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the topic of robot kinematics and provide a modern machine.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines, in brief, kinematics and robot kinematics, classes, constraints and chains to provide an introduction. An example shows how robot kinematics can benefit the design of advanced machines for industry.FindingsRobot kinematics, in conjunction with mathematics and other disciplines, lead to a greater understanding of robotics design and control.Originality/valueThis paper discusses robot kinematics in brief as a robot design topic in its own right, as well as presenting the Gantry‐Tau robot as a new and interesting kinematic development. As such, the article should be of general interest to robotics engineers and designers.
The DLR lightweight robot: design and control concepts for robots in human environments
Authors: Albu‐Schäffer A. , Haddadin S. , Ott Ch. , Stemmer A. , Wimböck T. , Hirzinger G. 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThe paper seeks to present a new generation of torque‐controlled light‐weight robots (LWR) developed at the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics of the German Aerospace Center.Design/methodology/approachAn integrated mechatronic design approach for LWR is presented. Owing to the partially unknown properties of the environment, robustness of planning and control with respect to environmental variations is crucial. Robustness is achieved in this context through sensor redundancy and passivity‐based control. In the DLR root concept, joint torque sensing plays a central role.FindingsIn order to act in unstructured environments and interact with humans, the robots have design features and control/software functionalities which distinguish them from classical robots, such as: load‐to‐weight ratio of 1:1, torque sensing in the joints, active vibration damping, sensitive collision detection, compliant control on joint and Cartesian level.Practical implicationsThe DLR robots are excellent research platforms for experimentation of advanced robotics algorithms. Space and medical robotics are further areas for which these robots were designed and hopefully will be applied within the next years. Potential industrial application fields are the fast automatic assembly as well as manufacturing activities done in cooperation with humans (industrial robot assistant). The described functionalities are of course highly relevant also for the potentially huge market of service robotics. The LWR technology was transferred to KUKA Roboter GmbH, which will bring the first arms on the market in the near future.Originality/valueThis paper introduces a new type of LWR with torque sensing in each joint and describes a consistent approach for using these sensors for manipulation in human environments. To the best of one's knowledge, the first systematic experimental evaluation of possible injuries during robot‐human crashes using standardized testing facilities is presented.
Too much teamwork makes companies slow and expensive to run
Authors: Hall Kevan 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThis paper examines the role of teamwork in organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis is a viewpoint paper.FindingsProvides three simple steps you can take to simplify and speed up the way that people cooperate in your organization.Originality/valueThe paper will be of interest to those involved with team‐working within companies.