bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
EmbR2, a structural homologue of EmbR, inhibits theMycobacterium tuberculosiskinase/substrate pair PknH/EmbR
Authors: Molle Virginie , Reynolds Robert C. , Alderwick Luke J. , Besra Gurdyal S. , Cozzone Alain J. , Fütterer Klaus , Kremer Laurent 
Published: February 2008

EmbR is a transcriptional regulator that is phosphorylated by the cognate mycobacterial STPK (serine/threonine protein kinase) PknH. Recent studies demonstrated that PknH-dependent phosphorylation of EmbR enhances its DNA-binding activity and activates the transcription of the embCAB genes encoding arabinosyltransferases, which participate in arabinan biosynthesis. In the present study, we identified a genomic region of 4425 bp, which is present in Mycobacterium tuberculosis CDC1551, but absent from M. tuberculosis H37Rv, comprising the MT3428 gene, which is homologous with embR. Homology modelling of the MT3428 gene product illustrated its close relationship (56% identity) to EmbR, and it was hence termed EmbR2. In marked contrast with EmbR, EmbR2 was not phosphorylated by PknH, although it is a substrate of other M. tuberculosis kinases, including PknE and PknF. Tryptophan fluorescence emission of EmbR2 was monitored in the presence of three different PknH-derived phosphopeptides and demonstrated that EmbR2 binds to at least two of the threonine sites known to undergo autophosphorylation in PknH. We observed that the capacity of EmbR2 to interact physically with PknH without being phosphorylated was a result of EmbR2-mediated inhibition of kinase activity: incubation of PknH with increasing concentrations of EmbR2 led to a dose–response inhibition of the autokinase activity, similarly to O6-cyclohexylmethylguanine, a known inhibitor of eukaryotic cyclin-dependent kinases. Moreover, EmbR2 inhibited PknH-dependent phosphorylation of EmbR in a dose-dependent manner. Together, these results suggest that EmbR2 is a regulator of PknH activation, thus directly participating in the control of the PknH/EmbR pair and potentially in mycobacterial physiology/virulence of M. tuberculosis CDC1551.
Development and preliminary validation of a measure for assessing staff perspectives on the quality of clinical group supervision
Authors: Horton Simon , de Lourdes Drachler Maria , Fuller Alison , de Carvalho Leite Jose Carlos 
Published: February 2008

Background: In the UK clinical supervision is regarded as an essential process supporting quality improvement within the clinical governance framework, and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists regards it as a tool for promoting critical reflective practice. There is limited evidence of the impact on practice or improvements in healthcare quality, and the need for an evaluation instrument specifically tailored to group supervision.Aims: To develop a measure for assessing staff perspectives on the quality of clinical group supervision and its impact on the quality of care.Methods & Procedures: A self‐completion questionnaire was devised to measure staff perceptions of purpose, process and impact of clinical group supervision. Items were developed through an inductive process of consultation, peer and literature review. The questionnaire's content validity was assessed. The questionnaire was then administered to 57 subjects who had received approximately 1 year of clinical supervision to evaluate acceptability, factor structure and convergent validity.Outcomes & Results: Response rates were 91% (52/57). Principal component factor analysis suggested a three‐factor structure, the first three factors accounting for 72.4% of the total variance. Items loaded appropriately onto purpose, process and impact. These three dimensions were positively and moderately correlated. Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86) indicated that the 14 items could be regarded as a scale. The overall CSEQ score was positively correlated with a single question assessing ‘general opinion’ about the CS program (Spearman's rho = 0.79, p<0.001) giving evidence for convergent validity.Conclusions: The questionnaire is concise, easy to complete and simple to analyse, and appears to be a reliable and valid measure of staff perceptions of quality of clinical group supervision. Further studies with larger sample sizes and including other groups of health professionals are needed to confirm the validity and reliability of the CSEQ.
Comparing language profiles: children with specific language impairment and developmental coordination disorder
Authors: Archibald Lisa M. D. , Alloway Tracy Packiam 
Published: February 2008

Background: Although it is widely recognized that substantial heterogeneity exists in the cognitive profiles of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), very little is known about the language skills of this group.Aims: To compare the language abilities of children with DCD with a group whose language impairment has been well described: children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI).Methods & Procedures: Eleven children with DCD and 11 with SLI completed standardized and non‐standardized assessments of vocabulary, grammatical skill, non‐word repetition, sentence recall, story retelling, and articulation rate. Performance on the non‐standardized measures was compared with a group of typically developing children of the same age.Outcomes & Results: Children with DCD were impaired on tasks involving verbal recall and story retelling. Almost half of those in the DCD group performed similarly to the children with SLI over several expressive language measures, while 18% had deficits in non‐word repetition and story retelling only. Poor non‐word repetition was observed for both the DCD and the SLI groups. The articulation rate of the children with SLI was slower than that of the DCD group, which was slower than that of typically developing children.Conclusions: Language impairment is a common co‐occurring condition in DCD. The language profile of children with either DCD or SLI was similar in the majority of, but not all, cases.
Grounded theory as a method for research in speech and language therapy
Authors: Skeat J. , Perry A. 
Published: February 2008

Background: The use of qualitative methodologies in speech and language therapy has grown over the past two decades, and there is now a body of literature, both generally describing qualitative research, and detailing its applicability to health practice(s). However, there has been only limited profession‐specific discussion of qualitative methodologies and their potential application to speech and language therapy.Aim: To describe the methodology of grounded theory, and to explain how it might usefully be applied to areas of speech and language research where theoretical frameworks or models are lacking.Methods & Procedures: Grounded theory as a methodology for inductive theory‐building from qualitative data is explained and discussed. Some differences between ‘modes’ of grounded theory are clarified and areas of controversy within the literature are highlighted. The past application of grounded theory to speech and language therapy, and its potential for informing research and clinical practice, are examined.Main contribution: This paper provides an in‐depth critique of a qualitative research methodology, including an overview of the main difference between two major ‘modes’. The article supports the application of a theory‐building approach in the profession, which is sometimes complex to learn and apply, but worthwhile in its results.Conclusions: Grounded theory as a methodology has much to offer speech and language therapists and researchers. Although the majority of research and discussion around this methodology has rested within sociology and nursing, grounded theory can be applied by researchers in any field, including speech and language therapists. The benefit of the grounded theory method to researchers and practitioners lies in its application to social processes and human interactions. The resulting theory may support further research in the speech and language therapy profession.
Children with phonological problems: a survey of clinical practice
Authors: Joffe Victoria , Pring T. 
Published: February 2008

Background:Children with phonological problems are a significant proportion of many therapists' caseloads. However, little is known about current clinical practice with these children or whether research on the effects of therapy have influenced this practice.Aims:To investigate the methods of assessment and remediation used by therapists working in the UK.Methods & Procedures:A questionnaire was sent to therapists working with pre‐ and primary school‐aged children.Outcomes & Results:Ninety‐eight clinicians of varying experience responded. Most used the South Tyneside Assessment of Phonology to assess children, were confident in choosing therapy, and were aware of evidence that therapy is beneficial. They used a variety of therapies. Auditory discrimination, minimal contrast therapy, and phonological awareness were popular and often used in combination. Most involved parents. In planning therapy, clinicians were more influenced by children's language and cognitive abilities and the motivation of parents than by the nature of the impairment.Conclusions:Constraints upon clinicians make it difficult for them to convert research findings to practice. In particular, assessments that allow more individualized and targeted interventions appear little used. Clinicians are aware of research but there is a danger that clinical practice and research are diverging.
Supportive‐expressive group therapy for women with metastatic breast cancer: Improving access for Australian women through use of teleconference
Authors: O'Brien Mary , Harris Jill , King Robert , O'Brien Tom 
Published: February 2008

AbstractWhile supportive‐expressive group therapy (SEGT) has been found to be effective in significantly reducing distress associated with life‐threatening illness, the challenge in Australia is to develop a means of providing supportive interventions to rural women who may be isolated both by the experience of illness and by geographical location. In this study an adaptation of SEGT was provided to women with metastatic breast cancer (n =21), who attended face‐to‐face or by telephone conference call. Participants showed significant gains on standardised measures of well‐being, including a reduction in negative affect and an increase in positive affect, over a 12‐month period. A reduction in intrusive and avoidant stress symptoms was also observed over 12 months; however, this difference was not significant. These outcomes suggest that SEGT, delivered in an innovative way within a community setting, may be an effective means of moderating the adverse effects of a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer while improving access to supportive care for rural women. These results are considered exploratory, as the study did not include a matched control group.
Personal approaches to psychotherapy integration
Authors: O'Hara Denis , Schofield Margot J. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractGrowing interest in the process of psychotherapy integration has been evident from both a theoretical and practice perspective. This research aimed to investigate how psychotherapists think about and practice psychotherapy integration. Five experienced therapists participated in in‐depth qualitative interviews on three occasions. In the first interview, each therapist's espoused theory of practice was explored. In the second interview, an interpersonal process recall methodology was used to examine therapists’ practice and reflections on practice using a video‐taped therapy session. For the third interview, the therapists produced symbolic creative representations of their approach to integration, and these were explored and reflected on. The data were analysed using multiple qualitative methods focusing particularly on the comparison between theoretical espousals and practice, and on how integration was conceptualised and practiced. A number of different approaches to psychotherapy integration were identified. The significance of ‘local’ approaches to psychotherapy integration is discussed.
Impact of separation anxiety on psychotherapy outcomes for adults with anxiety disorders
Authors: Kirsten Laura T. , Grenyer Brin F. S. , Wagner Renate , Manicavasagar Vijaya 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAnxiety is highly prevalent in the community, and despite improvements in therapy a significant proportion of people tend to relapse, or remain significantly symptomatic. Theorists have proposed that untreated attachment anxieties and separation conflicts emerge from childhood development to be pervasive problems in adulthood. This study aimed to investigate the influence of juvenile and concurrent adult separation anxiety on psychotherapy outcomes. It was hypothesised that separation anxiety impedes therapy progress. A sample of 154 adults with a DSM‐IV anxiety disorder received eight weekly sessions of group cognitive‐behaviour therapy. In addition to intake and termination measures of anxiety and depression, participants also completed measures of juvenile and adult separation anxiety and the influence of these on outcomes was studied. Higher adult separation anxiety was associated with a greater likelihood of anxiety and comorbid depression remaining unremitted at termination of treatment. Higher juvenile separation anxiety was only associated with a greater likelihood of still being comorbidly depressed at termination of treatment. The findings of this study highlight the need to modify conventional exposure‐based CBT treatments, and provide psychodynamic treatments that address attachment anxieties and separation conflicts.
Visuo‐spatial processing and executive functions in children with specific language impairment
Authors: Marton Klara 
Published: February 2008

Background: Individual differences in complex working memory tasks reflect simultaneous processing, executive functions, and attention control. Children with specific language impairment (SLI) show a deficit in verbal working memory tasks that involve simultaneous processing of information.Aims: The purpose of the study was to examine executive functions and visuo‐spatial processing and working memory in children with SLI and in their typically developing peers (TLD). Experiment 1 included 40 children with SLI (age = 5;3–6;10) and 40 children with TLD (age = 5;3–6;7); Experiment 2 included 25 children with SLI (age = 8;2–11;2) and 25 children with TLD (age = 8;3–11;0). It was examined whether the difficulties that children with SLI show in verbal working memory tasks are also present in visuo‐spatial working memory.Methods & Procedures: In Experiment 1, children's performance was measured with three visuo‐spatial processing tasks: space visualization, position in space, and design copying. The stimuli in Experiment 2 were two widely used neuropsychological tests: the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test — 64 (WCST‐64) and the Tower of London test (TOL).Outcomes & Results: In Experiment 1, children with SLI performed more poorly than their age‐matched peers in all visuo‐spatial working memory tasks. There was a subgroup within the SLI group that included children whose parents and teachers reported a weakness in the child's attention control. These children showed particular difficulties in the tasks of Experiment 1. The results support Engle's attention control theory: individuals need good attention control to perform well in visuo‐spatial working memory tasks. In Experiment 2, the children with SLI produced more perseverative errors and more rule violations than their peers.Conclusions: Executive functions have a great impact on SLI children's working memory performance, regardless of domain. Tasks that require an increased amount of attention control and executive functions are more difficult for the children with SLI than for their peers. Most children with SLI scored either below average or in the low average range on the neuropsychological tests that measured executive functions.
Elongation Changes of Exploratory and Root Hair Systems Induced by Aminocyclopropane Carboxylic Acid and Aminoethoxyvinylglycine Affect Nitrate Uptake andBnNrt2.1andBnNrt1.1Transporter Gene Expression in Oilseed Rape
Authors: Leblanc Antonin , Renault Hugues , Lecourt Julien , Etienne Philippe , Deleu Carole , Le Deunff Erwan 
Published: February 2008

AbstractEthylene is a plant hormone that plays a major role in the elongation of both exploratory and root hair systems. Here, we demonstrate in Brassica napus seedlings that treatments with the ethylene precursor, aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid (ACC) and the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor, aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), cause modification of the dynamic processes of primary root and root hair elongation in a dose-dependent way. Moreover, restoration of root elongation in AVG-treated seedlings by 1 mm l-glutamate suggested that high concentrations of AVG affect root elongation through nonoverlapping ethylene metabolic pathway involving pyridoxal 5′-P-dependent enzymes of nitrate (N) metabolism. In this respect, treatments with high concentrations of ACC and AVG (10 μ m) over 5 d revealed significant differences in relationships between root growth architecture and N uptake capacities. Indeed, if these treatments decreased severely the elongation of the exploratory root system (primary root and lateral roots) they had opposing effects on the root hair system. Although ACC increased the length and number of root hairs, the rate of N uptake and the transcript level of the N transporter BnNrt2.1 were markedly reduced. In contrast, the decrease in root hair length and number in AVG-treated seedlings was overcompensated by an increase of N uptake and BnNrt2.1 gene expression. These root architectural changes demonstrated that BnNrt2.1 expression levels were more correlated to the changes of the exploratory root system than the changes of the root hair system. The difference between treatments in N transporters BnNrt1.1 and BnNrt2.1 gene expression is discussed with regard to presumed transport functions of BnNrt1.1 in relation to root elongation.
Advanced Data-Mining Strategies for the Analysis of Direct-Infusion Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry Data from the Association of Perennial Ryegrass with Its Endophytic Fungus,Neotyphodium lolii
Authors: Cao Mingshu , Koulman Albert , Johnson Linda J. , Lane Geoffrey A. , Rasmussen Susanne 
Published: February 2008

AbstractDirect-infusion mass spectrometry (MS) was applied to study the metabolic effects of the symbiosis between the endophytic fungus Neotyphodium lolii and its host perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in three different tissues (immature leaf, blade, and sheath). Unbiased direct-infusion MS using a linear ion trap mass spectrometer allowed metabolic effects to be determined free of any preconceptions and in a high-throughput fashion. Not only the full MS1 mass spectra (range 150–1,000 mass-to-charge ratio) were obtained but also MS2 and MS3 product ion spectra were collected on the most intense MS1 ions as described previously (Koulman et al., 2007b). We developed a novel computational methodology to take advantage of the MS2 product ion spectra collected. Several heterogeneous MS1 bins (different MS2 spectra from the same nominal MS1) were identified with this method. Exploratory data analysis approaches were also developed to investigate how the metabolome differs in perennial ryegrass infected with N. lolii in comparison to uninfected perennial ryegrass. As well as some known fungal metabolites like peramine and mannitol, several novel metabolites involved in the symbiosis, including putative cyclic oligopeptides, were identified. Correlation network analysis revealed a group of structurally related oligosaccharides, which differed significantly in concentration in perennial ryegrass sheaths due to endophyte infection. This study demonstrates the potential of the combination of unbiased metabolite profiling using ion trap MS and advanced data-mining strategies for discovering unexpected perturbations of the metabolome, and generating new scientific questions for more detailed investigations in the future.
Genetic Dissection of Hormonal Responses in the Roots of Arabidopsis Grown under Continuous Mechanical Impedance
Authors: Okamoto Takashi , Tsurumi Seiji , Shibasaki Kyohei , Obana Yoshimi , Takaji Hironori , Oono Yutaka , Rahman Abidur 
Published: February 2008

AbstractWe investigated the role of ethylene and auxin in regulating the growth and morphology of roots during mechanical impedance by developing a new growing system and using the model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The Arabidopsis seedlings grown horizontally on a dialysis membrane-covered agar plate encountered adequate mechanical impedance as the roots showed characteristic ethylene phenotypes: 2-fold reduction in root growth, increase in root diameter, decrease in cell elongation, and ectopic root hair formation. The root phenotype characterization of various mutants having altered response to ethylene biosynthesis or signaling, the effect of ethylene inhibitors on mechanically impeded roots, and transcription profiling of the ethylene-responsive genes led us to conclude that enhanced ethylene response plays a primary role in changing root morphology and development during mechanical impedance. Further, the differential sensitivity of horizontally and vertically grown roots toward exogenous ethylene suggested that ethylene signaling plays a critical role in enhancing the ethylene response. We subsequently demonstrated that the enhanced ethylene response also affects the auxin response in roots. Taken together, our results provide a new insight into the role of ethylene in changing root morphology during mechanical impedance.
Histopathology and PR‐protein markers provide insight into adult plant resistance to stripe rust of wheat
Authors: MOLDENHAUER JENNIFER , PRETORIUS ZACHARIAS A. , MOERSCHBACHER BRUNO M. , PRINS RENÉE , VAN DER WESTHUIZEN AMIE J. 
Published: February 2008

SUMMARYStripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is a serious disease of wheat. The spring wheat cultivar Kariega expresses complete adult plant resistance to stripe rust, whereas Avocet S is susceptible. In former studies, quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of doubled haploid lines derived from a Kariega × Avocet S cross revealed two major QTL (QYr.sgi‐7D and QYr.sgi‐2B.1) and two minor QTL (QYr.sgi‐1A and QYr.sgi‐4A.1) responsible for the adult resistance of Kariega in the field. Avocet S contains none of these QTL. In the present study, stripe rust development was compared, by means of fluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy, in flag leaves of Kariega, Avocet S and six doubled haploid (DH) lines, containing all four, none or one QTL. Depending on the QTL present, the infection types of the DH lines ranged from resistant to fully susceptible. No differences in fungal growth were observed during the first 5 days post inoculation (dpi), whereas the mean length of the fungal colonies started to differ at 6 dpi. Interestingly, MP 51 carrying QYr.sgi‐7D responded with lignification to the fungal growth without restricting it, whereas MP 35 containing QYr.sgi‐2B.1 did not show lignified host tissue, but fungal growth was restricted. RT PCR experiments with sequences of pathogenesis‐related (PR) proteins resulted in a slightly stronger induction of PR 1, 2 and 5, known markers for the hypersensitive reaction, and peroxidases in MP 51, whereas a second band for chitinases was detected in MP 35 only.