Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Linking
Kinds of Linking Terms modified by Linking Selected AbstractsHealth Care Supply Chain Design: Toward Linking the Development and Delivery of Care Globally,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 2 2009Kingshuk K. Sinha ABSTRACT This article is motivated by the gap between the growing demand and available supply of high-quality, cost-effective, and timely health care, a problem faced not only by developing and underdeveloped countries but also by developed countries. The significance of this problem is heightened when the economy is in recession. In an attempt to address the problem, in this article, first, we conceptualize care as a bundle of goods, services, and experiences,including diet and exercise, drugs, devices, invasive procedures, new biologics, travel and lodging, and payment and reimbursement. We then adopt a macro, end-to-end, supply chain,centric view of the health care sector to link the development of care with the delivery of care. This macro, supply chain,centric view sheds light on the interdependencies between key industries from the upstream to the downstream of the health care supply chain. We propose a framework, the 3A-framework, that is founded on three constructs,affordability, access, and awareness,to inform the design of supply chain for the health care sector. We present an illustrative example of the framework toward designing the supply chain for implantable device,based care for cardiovascular diseases in developing countries. Specifically, the framework provides a lens for identifying an integrated system of continuous improvement and innovation initiatives relevant to bridging the gap between the demand and supply for high-quality, cost-effective, and timely care. Finally, we delineate directions of future research that are anchored in and follow from the developments documented in the article. [source] Linking the concept of scale to studies of biological diversity: evolving approaches and toolsDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 3 2006Erik A. Beever ABSTRACT Although the concepts of scale and biological diversity independently have received rapidly increasing attention in the scientific literature since the 1980s, the rate at which the two concepts have been investigated jointly has grown much more slowly. We find that scale considerations have been incorporated explicitly into six broad areas of investigation related to biological diversity: (1) heterogeneity within and among ecosystems, (2) disturbance ecology, (3) conservation and restoration, (4) invasion biology, (5) importance of temporal scale for understanding processes, and (6) species responses to environmental heterogeneity. In addition to placing the papers of this Special Feature within the context of brief summaries of the expanding literature on these six topics, we provide an overview of tools useful for integrating scale considerations into studies of biological diversity. Such tools include hierarchical and structural-equation modelling, kriging, variable-width buffers, k -fold cross-validation, and cascading graph diagrams, among others. Finally, we address some of the major challenges and research frontiers that remain, and conclude with a look to the future. [source] Linking the composition of bacterioplankton to rapid turnover of dissolved dimethylsulphoniopropionate in an algal bloom in the North SeaENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2001Mikhail V. Zubkov The algal osmolyte, dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP), is abundant in the surface oceans and is the major precursor of dimethyl sulphide (DMS), a gas involved in global climate regulation. Here, we report results from an in situ Lagrangian study that suggests a link between the microbially driven fluxes of dissolved DMSP (DMSPd) and specific members of the bacterioplankton community in a North Sea coccolithophore bloom. The bacterial population in the bloom was dominated by a single species related to the genus Roseobacter, which accounted for 24% of the bacterioplankton numbers and up to 50% of the biomass. The abundance of the Roseobacter cells showed significant paired correlation with DMSPd consumption and bacterioplankton production, whereas abundances of other bacteria did not. Consumed DMSPd (28 nM day,1) contributed 95% of the sulphur and up to 15% of the carbon demand of the total bacterial populations, suggesting the importance of DMSP as a substrate for the Roseobacter -dominated bacterioplankton. In dominating DMSPd flux, the Roseobacter species may exert a major control on DMS production. DMSPd turnover rate was 10 times that of DMS (2.7 nM day,1), indicating that DMSPd was probably the major source of DMS, but that most of the DMSPd was metabolized without DMS production. Our study suggests that single species of bacterioplankton may at times be important in metabolizing DMSP and regulating the generation of DMS in the sea. [source] Two independent gene signatures in pediatric t(4;11) acute lymphoblastic leukemia patientsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Luca Trentin Abstract Objective:, Gene expression profiles become increasingly more important for diagnostic procedures, allowing clinical predictions including treatment response and outcome. However, the establishment of specific and robust gene signatures from microarray data sets requires the analysis of large numbers of patients and the application of complex biostatistical algorithms. Especially in case of rare diseases and due to these constrains, diagnostic centers with limited access to patients or bioinformatic resources are excluded from implementing these new technologies. Method:, In our study we sought to overcome these limitations and for proof of principle, we analyzed the rare t(4;11) leukemia disease entity. First, gene expression data of each t(4;11) leukemia patient were normalized by pairwise subtraction against normal bone marrow (n = 3) to identify significantly deregulated gene sets for each patient. Result:, A ,core signature' of 186 commonly deregulated genes present in each investigated t(4;11) leukemia patient was defined. Linking the obtained gene sets to four biological discriminators (HOXA gene expression, age at diagnosis, fusion gene transcripts and chromosomal breakpoints) divided patients into two distinct subgroups: the first one comprised infant patients with low HOXA genes expression and the MLL breakpoints within introns 11/12. The second one comprised non-infant patients with high HOXA expression and MLL breakpoints within introns 9/10. Conclusion:, A yet homogeneous leukemia entity was further subdivided, based on distinct genetic properties. This approach provided a simplified way to obtain robust and disease-specific gene signatures even in smaller cohorts. [source] Linking the flame-retardant mechanisms of an ethylene-acrylate copolymer, chalk and silicone elastomer system with its intumescent behaviourFIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 6 2005Anna Hermansson Abstract In this paper the flame-retardant mechanisms of a flame-retardant system consisting of ethylene-acrylate copolymer, chalk and silicone elastomer are linked to its foaming process and to its formation of a final intumescent structure. Thermocouples were placed inside and at the surface of cone calorimeter test specimens in order to measure the temperature at different depths during the formation of the intumescent structure. The temperature and visual observations of the foaming process were then linked to chemical reactions seen with thermogravimetric analysis and also coupled with earlier knowledge of the flame-retardant mechanism. A correlation is seen between the chemical reactions, the temperature (inside and at the surface of a cone calorimeter test specimen) as measured by thermocouples and visual observations in the intumescent process. Further, the outcome of this study provides useful information for achieving a deeper understanding of the flame-retardant mechanisms of the ethylene-acrylate copolymer, chalk and silicone elastomer system. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Linking herbivore-induced defences to population dynamicsFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2006IRENE VAN DER STAP Summary 1.,Theoretical studies have shown that inducible defences have the potential to affect population stability and persistence in bi- and tritrophic food chains. Experimental studies on such effects of prey defence strategies on the dynamics of predator,prey systems are still rare. We performed replicated population dynamics experiments using the herbivorous rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus and four strains of closely related algae that show different defence responses to this herbivore. 2.,We observed herbivore populations to fluctuate at a higher frequency when feeding on small undefended algae. During these fluctuations minimum rotifer densities remained sufficiently high to ensure population persistence in all the replicates. The initial growth of rotifer populations in this treatment coincided with a sharp drop in algal density. Such a suppression of algae by herbivores was not observed in the other treatments, where algae were larger due to induced or permanent defences. In these treatments we observed rotifer population densities to first rise and then decline. The herbivore went extinct in all replicates with large permanently defended algae. The frequency of herbivore extinctions was intermediate when algae had inducible defences. 3.,A variety of alternative mechanisms could explain differential herbivore persistence in the different defence treatments. Our analysis showed the density and fraction of highly edible algal particles to better explain herbivore persistence and extinctions than total algal density, the fraction of highly inedible food particles or the accumulation of herbivore waste products or autotoxins. 4.,We argue that the rotifers require a minimum fraction and density of edible food particles for maintenance and reproduction. We conjecture that induced defences in algae may thus favour larger zooplankton species such as Daphnia spp. that are less sensitive to shifts in their food size spectrum, relative to smaller zooplankton species, such as rotifers and in this way contributes to the structuring of planktonic communities. [source] Linking the global carbon cycle to individual metabolismFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2005A. P. ALLEN Summary 1We present a model that yields ecosystem-level predictions of the flux, storage and turnover of carbon in three important pools (autotrophs, decomposers, labile soil C) based on the constraints of body size and temperature on individual metabolic rate. 2The model predicts a 10 000-fold increase in C turnover rates moving from tree- to phytoplankton-dominated ecosystems due to the size dependence of photosynthetic rates. 3The model predicts a 16-fold increase in rates controlled by respiration (e.g. decomposition, turnover of labile soil C and microbial biomass) over the temperature range 0,30 °C due to the temperature dependence of ATP synthesis in respiratory complexes. 4The model predicts only a fourfold increase in rates controlled by photosynthesis (e.g. net primary production, litter fall, fine root turnover) over the temperature range 0,30 °C due to the temperature dependence of Rubisco carboxylation in chloroplasts. 5The difference between the temperature dependence of respiration and photosynthesis yields quantitative predictions for distinct phenomena that include acclimation of plant respiration, geographic gradients in labile C storage, and differences between the short- and long-term temperature dependence of whole-ecosystem CO2 flux. 6These four sets of model predictions were tested using global compilations of data on C flux, storage and turnover in ecosystems. 7Results support the hypothesis that the combined effects of body size and temperature on individual metabolic rate impose important constraints on the global C cycle. The model thus provides a synthetic, mechanistic framework for linking global biogeochemical cycles to cellular-, individual- and community-level processes. [source] Coastal paleogeography and human land use at Tecolote Canyon, southern California, U.S.A.GEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2004René L. Vellanoweth A buried archaeological site at Tecolote Canyon provides an ideal case study for relating past human land use patterns to changes in coastal paleogeography. Postglacial sea level transgression, erosion, and other marine and fluvial processes form the context for examining two deeply buried archaeological components excavated at CA-SBA-72. Archaeological shellfish assemblages provide proxy data for evaluating the evolution of local marine environments. Pismo clams dominate shellfish assemblages dated to 5800 cal yr B.P., suggesting the presence of a broad and sandy, high-energy beach environment. At 5500 cal yr B.P., the almost exclusive use of California mussels by humans signals the development of rocky intertidal habitats. During the late Holocene, estuarine species dominate the marine mollusk assemblages at CA-SBA-72, reflecting the development of local estuarine conditions or trade with nearby Goleta Slough villages. The buried components at Tecolote Canyon appear to have served as temporary camps for shellfish harvesting and processing. While general changes in coastal paleogeography and human subsistence have been reconstructed for the Santa Barbara Coast, high resolution ecological data from Tecolote Canyon suggest that Native peoples also adapted to localized and shorter-term shifts in intertidal habitats, changes not evident in most larger or more disturbed surface sites in the region. Linking these changes with shifts in human land use patterns highlights the interaction between humans and a dynamic coastal system. These data demonstrate the importance of small, buried sites in understanding the full spectrum of human subsistence and settlement choices and local environmental change. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Human leukocyte antigen,associated sequence polymorphisms in hepatitis C virus reveal reproducible immune responses and constraints on viral evolution,HEPATOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Joerg Timm CD8+ T cell responses play a key role in governing the outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and viral evolution enabling escape from these responses may contribute to the inability to resolve infection. To more comprehensively examine the extent of CD8 escape and adaptation of HCV to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I restricted immune pressures on a population level, we sequenced all non-structural proteins in a cohort of 70 chronic HCV genotype 1a-infected subjects (28 subjects with HCV monoinfection and 42 with HCV/human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] coinfection). Linking of sequence polymorphisms with HLA allele expression revealed numerous HLA-associated polymorphisms across the HCV proteome. Multiple associations resided within relatively conserved regions, highlighting attractive targets for vaccination. Additional mutations provided evidence of HLA-driven fixation of sequence polymorphisms, suggesting potential loss of some CD8 targets from the population. In a subgroup analysis of mono- and co-infected subjects some associations lost significance partly due to reduced power of the utilized statistics. A phylogenetic analysis of the data revealed the substantial influence of founder effects upon viral evolution and HLA associations, cautioning against simple statistical approaches to examine the influence of host genetics upon sequence evolution of highly variable pathogens. Conclusion: These data provide insight into the frequency and reproducibility of viral escape from CD8+ T cell responses in human HCV infection, and clarify the combined influence of multiple forces shaping the sequence diversity of HCV and other highly variable pathogens. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.) [source] Invited reaction: Linking learning with financial performanceHUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2002Timothy T. Baldwin First page of article [source] Fractionation of Electrograms and Linking of Activation During Pharmacologic Cardioversion of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation in the GoatJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5 2004ZHAOLIANG SHAN M.D. Introduction: During atrial fibrillation (AF), there is fractionation of extracellular potentials due to head-to-tail interaction and slow conduction of fibrillation waves. We hypothesized that slowing of the rate of AF by infusion of a Class I drug would increase the degree of organization of AF. Methods and Results: Seven goats were instrumented with 83 epicardial electrodes on the left atrium, left atrial appendage, Bachmann's bundle, right atrium, and right atrial appendage. AF was induced and maintained by an automatic atrial fibrillator. After AF had persisted for 4 weeks, the Class IC drug cibenzoline was infused at a rate of 0.1 mg/kg/min. AF cycle length (AFCL), the percentage of fractionated potentials, conduction velocity (CV), and direction of propagation of the fibrillation waves were measured during baseline, after AFCL was increased by 20, 40, 60, and 80 ms, and shortly before cardioversion. Infusion of cibenzoline increased the mean of the median AFCLs from 96 ± 6 ms to 207 ± 43 ms (P < 0.0001). The temporal variation in AFCL in different parts of the atria was 8% to 20% during control and, with the exception of Bachmann's bundle, was not significantly reduced during cibenzoline infusion. CV decreased from 76 ± 14 ms to 52 ± 9 cm/s (P < 0.01). Cibenzoline increased the percentage of single potentials from 81%± 4% to 91%± 4% (P < 0.01) and decreased the incidence of double potentials from 14%± 4% to 7 ± 5% (P < 0.01) and multiple potentials from 5%±% to 1%± 2% (P < 0.001). Whereas during control, linking (consecutive waves propagating in the same direction) during seven or more beats occurred in 9%± 15% of the cycles, after cibenzoline the degree of linking had increased to 40%± 33% (P < 0.05). During the last two beats before cardioversion, there was a sudden prolongation in AFCL from 209 ± 37 ms to 284 ± 92 ms (P < 0.01) and a strong reduction in fractionated potentials (from 22%± 12% to 6%± 5%, P < 0.05). Conclusion: The Class IC drug cibenzoline causes a decrease in fractionation of fibrillation electrograms and an increase in the degree of linking during AF. This supports the observation that Class I drugs widen the excitable gap during AF. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 15, pp. 572-580, May 2004) [source] Multidimensional Linking for Tests with Mixed Item TypesJOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 2 2009Lihua Yao Numerous assessments contain a mixture of multiple choice (MC) and constructed response (CR) item types and many have been found to measure more than one trait. Thus, there is a need for multidimensional dichotomous and polytomous item response theory (IRT) modeling solutions, including multidimensional linking software. For example, multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) may have a promising future in subscale score proficiency estimation, leading toward a more diagnostic orientation, which requires the linking of these subscale scores across different forms and populations. Several multidimensional linking studies can be found in the literature; however, none have used a combination of MC and CR item types. Thus, this research explores multidimensional linking accuracy for tests composed of both MC and CR items using a matching test characteristic/response function approach. The two-dimensional simulation study presented here used real data-derived parameters from a large-scale statewide assessment with two subscale scores for diagnostic profiling purposes, under varying conditions of anchor set lengths (6, 8, 16, 32, 60), across 10 population distributions, with a mixture of simple versus complex structured items, using a sample size of 3,000. It was found that for a well chosen anchor set, the parameters recovered well after equating across all populations, even for anchor sets composed of as few as six items. [source] Using the Distractor Categories of Multiple-Choice Items to Improve IRT LinkingJOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 3 2006Jee-Seon Kim Simulation and real data studies are used to investigate the value of modeling multiple-choice distractors on item response theory linking. Using the characteristic curve linking procedure for Bock's (1972) nominal response model presented by Kim and Hanson (2002), all-category linking (i.e., a linking based on all category characteristic curves of the linking items) is compared against correct-only (CO) linking (i.e., linking based on the correct category characteristic curves only) using a common-item nonequivalent groups design. The CO linking is shown to represent an approximation to what occurs when using a traditional correct/incorrect item response model for linking. Results suggest that the number of linking items needed to achieve an equivalent level of linking precision declines substantially when incorporating the distractor categories. [source] Performance of a Proposed Method for the Linking of Mixed Format Tests With Constructed Response and Multiple Choice ItemsJOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 4 2000Richard Tate The error associated with a proposed linking method for tests consisting of both constructed response and multiple choice items was investigated in a simulation study. Study factors that were varied included the relative proportion of constructed response items in the test, the size of the year-to-year change in the ability metric, the number of anchor items, the number of linking papers to be reassessed, and the presence of guessing. The results supported the use of the proposed linking method, In addition, simulations were used to illustrate possible linking bias resulting from (a) the use of the traditional linking method and (b) the use of only multiple choice anchor items in the presence of test multidimensionality. [source] SEProt-EuPA joint meeting ,proteomics and pathology: Linking both sides of the Atlantic Ocean'JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 11 2007Juan J Calvete President of the Spanish Proteomics Society President of the Organizing Committee of the SEProt-EuPA 2007 Meeting [source] THE ROLE OF PERIPHYTON IN PHOSPHORUS RETENTION IN SHALLOW FRESHWATER AQUATIC SYSTEMSJOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 5 2003Article first published online: 26 SEP 200, Walter K. Dodds Eutrophication caused by phosphorus (P) leads to water quality problems in aquatic systems, particularly freshwaters, worldwide. Processing of nutrients in shallow habitats removes P from water naturally and periphyton influences P removal from the water column in flowing waters and wetlands. Periphyton plays several roles in removing P from the water column, including P uptake and deposition, filtering particulate P from the water, and attenuating flow, which decreases advective transport of particulate and dissolved P from sediments. Furthermore, periphyton photosynthesis locally increases pH by up to 1 unit, which can lead to increased precipitation of calcium phosphate, concurrent deposition of carbonate-phosphate complexes, and long-term burial of P. Actively photosynthesizing periphyton can cause super-saturated O2 concentrations near the sediment surface encouraging deposition of metal phosphates. However, anoxia associated with periphyton respiration at night may offset this effect. Linking the small-scale functional role of periphyton to ecosystem-level P retention will require more detailed studies in a variety of ecosystems or large mesocosms. A case study from the Everglades illustrates the importance of considering the role of periphyton in P removal from wetlands. In general, periphyton tends to increase P retention and deposition. In pilot-scale constructed periphyton-dominated wetlands in South Florida, about half of the inflowing total P was removed. [source] Linking the North Atlantic to central Europe: a high-resolution Holocene tephrochronological record from northern GermanyJOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 1 2002Christel van den Bogaard Abstract A high-resolution Holocene tephrochronology for northern Germany has been established based on systematic tephrostratigraphical analysis of three peat bogs. Microscopic volcanic ash layers have been traced and characterised petrographically and by the chemical composition of the glass shards. At least 37 ash horizons representing 16 different explosive volcanic eruptions have been identified and many can be correlated between the three sites, up to 100 km apart. The tephra layers can be related to Icelandic volcanic sources and some correlated to the eruptions of Askja 1875, Hekla 3, Hekla Selsund, Hekla 4 and Hekla 5, as well as to unspecified eruptions of Icelandic volcanic systems, e.g. Torfajökull. The source volcanoes for some tephra layers remain unidentified. Some tephra layers were known previously from the North Atlantic region (e.g. Sluggan, Glen Garry), others have not been recorded previously in the literature (e.g. microlite tephra). This study provides the first comprehensive Holocene tephrostratigraphical record for northern Germany, complementing the North Atlantic tephrostratigraphical dating framework, effectively extending it into central Europe. The study shows that Icelandic ash layers are even more widespread than hitherto thought. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Leaf green-up in a semi-arid African savanna -separating tree and grass responses to environmental cuesJOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 4 2007S. Archibald Abstract Question: Can satellite time series be used to identify tree and grass green-up dates in a semi-arid savanna system, and are there predictable environmental cues for green-up for each life form? Location: Acacia nigrescens /Combretum apiculatum savanna, Kruger National Park, South Africa (25° S, 31° E). Methods: Remotely-sensed data from the MODIS sensor were used to provide a five year record of greenness (NDVI) between 2000 and 2005. The seasonal and inter-annual patterns of leaf display of trees and grasses were described, using additional ecological information to separate the greening signal of each life form from the satellite time series. Linking this data to daily meteorological and soil moisture data allowed the cues responsible for leaf flush in trees and grasses to be identified and a predictive model of savanna leaf-out was developed. This was tested on a 22-year NDVI dataset from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer. A day length cue for tree green-up predicted 86% of the green-ups with an accuracy better than one month. A soil moisture and day length cue for grass green-up predicted 73% of the green-ups with an accuracy better than a month, and 82% within 45 days. This accuracy could be improved if the temporal resolution of the satellite data was shortened from the current two weeks. Conclusions: The data show that at a landscape scale savanna trees have a less variable phenological cycle (within and between years) than grasses. Realistic biophysical models of savanna systems need to take this into account. Using climatic data to predict these dynamics is a feasible approach. [source] Linking the planktonic and benthic habitat: genetic structure of the marine diatom Skeletonema marinoiMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 20 2010ANNA GODHE Abstract Dormant life stages are important strategies for many aquatic organisms. The formation of resting stages will provide a refuge from unfavourable conditions in the water column, and their successive accumulation in the benthos will constitute a genetic reservoir for future planktonic populations. We have determined the genetic structure of a common bloom-forming diatom, Skeletonema marinoi, in the sediment and the plankton during spring, summer and autumn two subsequent years (2007,2009) in Gullmar Fjord on the Swedish west coast. Eight polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to assess the level of genetic differentiation and the respective gene diversity of the two different habitats. We also determined the degree of genetic differentiation between the seed banks inside the fjord and the open sea. The results indicate that Gullmar Fjord has one dominant endogenous population of S. marinoi, which is genetically differentiated from the open sea population. The fjord population is encountered in the plankton and in the sediment. Shifts from the dominant population can happen, and in our study, two genetically differentiated plankton populations, displaying reduced genetic diversity, occurred in September 2007 and 2008. Based on our results, we suggest that sill fjords maintain local long-lived and well-adapted protist populations, which continuously shift between the planktonic and benthic habitats. Intermittently, short-lived and mainly asexually reproducing populations can replace the dominant population in the water column, without influencing the genetic structure of the benthic seed bank. [source] Looking through the eyes of fungi: molecular genetics of photoreceptionMOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Alfredo Herrera-Estrella Summary Filamentous fungi respond to a variety of environmental signals. One of them is light, providing critical information about orientation, or impending stress. Cells of filamentous fungi appear to sense blue light through a unique transcription factor that has a flavin chromophore and activates its targets in a light-dependent manner, the white collar (WC) complex. Fungal photophysiology, though, predicted a greater complexity of responses to the whole visible spectrum. The rapidly growing fungal genome database provides candidates to explain how fungi see not only blue, but also near-UV, green and red light. At the same time, there are surprises in the genomes, including photoreceptors for which there are no obvious photoresponses. Linking these genes and their functions will help understand how a list of only a few biological chromophores accounts for such a diversity of responses. At the same time, deeper mechanistic understanding of how the WC complex functions will lead to fundamental insights at the point where the environment impinges, in this case in the form of photons, on the transcriptional machinery of the cell. [source] Maintenance of genetic variation in plants and pathogens involves complex networks of gene-for-gene interactionsMOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2009SHARON A. HALL SUMMARY The RPP13 [recognition of Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (previously known as Peronospora parasitica)] resistance (R) gene in Arabidopsis thaliana exhibits the highest reported level of sequence diversity among known R genes. Consistent with a co-evolutionary model, the matching effector protein ATR13 (A. thaliana -recognized) from H. arabidopsidis reveals extreme levels of allelic diversity. We isolated 23 new RPP13 sequences from a UK metapopulation, giving a total of 47 when combined with previous studies. We used these in functional studies of the A. thaliana accessions for their resistance response to 16 isolates of H. arabidopsidis. We characterized the molecular basis of recognition by the expression of the corresponding ATR13 genes from these 16 isolates in these host accessions. This allowed the determination of which alleles of RPP13 were responsible for pathogen recognition and whether recognition was dependent on the RPP13/ATR13 combination. Linking our functional studies with phylogenetic analysis, we determined that: (i) the recognition of ATR13 is mediated by alleles in just a single RPP13 clade; (ii) RPP13 alleles in other clades have evolved the ability to detect other pathogen ATR protein(s); and (iii) at least one gene, unlinked to RPP13 in A. thaliana, detects a different subgroup of ATR13 alleles. [source] Augmenting the Cartesian medical discourse with an understanding of the person's lifeworld, lived body, life story and social identityNURSING PHILOSOPHY, Issue 4 2009Helena Sunvisson RN PhD Abstract Using three paradigm cases of persons living with Parkinson's Disease (PD) the authors make a case for augmenting and enriching a Cartesian medical account of the pathophysiology of PD with an enriched understanding of the lived body experience of PD, the lived implications of PD for a particular person's concerns and coping with the illness. Linking and adding a thick description of the lived experience of PD can enrich caregiving imagination and attunement to the patient's possibilities, concerns and constraints. The work of Merleau-Ponty is used to articulate the middle terms of the lived experience of dwelling in a lifeworld. Examining lived experience of embodied intentionality, skilled bodily capacities as highlighted in Merleau-Ponty's non-mechanistic physiology opens new therapeutic, coping and caregiving possibilities. Matching temporal rhythms can decrease the stress of being assisted with activities of daily living. For example, caregivers and patients alike can be taught strategies for extending their lived bodily capacities by altering rhythms, by shifting hyperactivity to different parts of the body and other strategies that change the perceptual experience associated with walking in different environment. A medical account of the pathophysiology of PD is nessessary and useful, but not sufficient for designing caregiving in ways that enrich and extend the existential skills of dwelling of persons with PD. The dominance of mechanistic physiology makes caregivers assume that it is the ,real discourse' about the disease, causing researchers and caregivers alike to overlook the equally real lived experience of the patient which requires different descriptive discourses and different sources of understanding. Lack of dialogue between the two discourses is tragic for patients because caregivers need both in order to provide attuned, effective caregiving. [source] Visible Light Irradiation of Ethidium Bromide,stained Interphase Nuclei Causes DNA,Protein Linking and Structural Stabilization of Nucleoprotein Complexes,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Andrey N. Prusov ABSTRACT Fixation of DNA and proteins in the isolated rat hepatocyte nuclei stained with ethidium bromide and irradiated with visible light was analyzed in this study. It was shown that irradiation results in the following modifications of higher-level nucleoprotein complexes of interphase chromatin: (1) the complexes acquire resistance to decondensing treatments, which may be indicative of the formation of links between proteins or proteins and DNA in the chromatin; (2) the linking rate for both DNA and proteins is dose dependent; (3) the irradiation induces intermolecular link formation between DNA molecules, which brings about an increase in the average molecular weight of DNA fragments; (4) some modifications (dimerization, etc.) of histones and nonhistone proteins occur; and (5) histone proteins are not effectively cross-linked to DNA. The structural stabilization of interphase chromatin is possibly mediated by free radical,based mechanisms, whereas disulfide bonds seem to play no significant role in the cross-linking. [source] Government,nonprofit partnership: a defining frameworkPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2002Jennifer M. Brinkerhoff Partnership has emerged as an increasingly popular approach to privatization and government,nonprofit relations generally. While in principle it offers many advantages, there is no consensus on what it means and its practice varies. Following a review of partnership literature, the article refines the partnership concept, developing two definitional dimensions: mutuality and organization identity. Based on these dimensions, partnership is defined on a relative scale and is distinguished from other relationship types: contracting, extension, and co-optation or gradual absorption. Examples of each are provided. The model enables actors to assess their relative tolerance for partnership approaches, and provides a common language among potential partners. Linking its defining dimensions to partnership's value-added assists partners to advocate for partnership approaches from an instrumental as well as normative perspective. The model and inter-organizational relationship matrix can inform continuing theory building and practical experimentation both to refine defining dimensions and indicators of partnership practice, and to enhance responsiveness to partners' expectations of partnership. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Application of Fragment Growing and Fragment Linking to the Discovery of Inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Pantothenate Synthetase,ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE, Issue 45 2009Alvin Zwei Wege zu leistungsfähigen Inhibitoren des Titelenzyms: Röntgenkristallographie und isotherme Titrationskalorimetrie halfen, Fragmente, die in biophysikalischen Screenings identifiziert worden waren, systematisch zu verbessern. Der exzellente, rechts im aktiven Zentrum des Enzyms gezeigte Inhibitor wurde aus dem Leitfragment (links) und einem Acylsulfonamid-Linker erhalten und ähnelt dem besten mit der Fragmentwachstumsstrategie ermittelten Inhibitor. [source] Transitions from hospital to residential aged care in AustraliaAUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING, Issue 4 2009Rosemary Karmel Aim:, To investigate movement of people from hospital into residential aged care. Methods:, An innovative record linkage method was implemented to create a national database to investigate transitions from hospital into aged care. Results:, In 2001,2002, 3.2% of hospitalisations for people aged 65+ ended with admission into residential aged care. A further 5.5% were for people already living permanently in care. Nationally, more people were admitted into permanent care from hospital than from the community. Factors important in predicting admission to aged care from hospital included length of hospital stay, diagnoses, region of usual residence and hospital jurisdiction. Conclusion:, Individually, national hospital and aged care datasets do not provide adequate information on movement between the sectors. Linking the data allowed the first national investigation into movement from hospital into aged care. Results indicate the importance of investigating interactions of service provision (both supply and demand driven) at the local level. [source] Linking, de-linking and re-linking: Southeast Asia in the global economy in the twentieth centuryAUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 1 2004Anne Booth This paper examines how links between the economies of Southeast Asia and the world economy have changed over the twentieth century, paying particular attention to growth in commodity exports, investment flows and international migration. Most parts of Southeast Asia expanded their links with the global economy in the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but the years from 1940 to 1965 saw a decline in Southeast Asia's share of tropical exports, and of direct foreign investment. Migration flows also slowed. Over the last four decades of the twentieth century, international links expanded again, but there have been marked variations between countries. [source] A Facile Method for Reversibly Linking a Recombinant Protein to DNACHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 9 2009Russell P. Goodman Dr. Abstract A simple modification allows DNA to be linked to recombinant proteins. DNA functionalized with three nitrilotriacetic acid groups forms coordination complexes with nickel ions and the His6 -tag of the recombinant protein (here, GFP). This noncovalent linkage is reversible, site-specific and has a high (nanomolar) affinity. We present a facile method for linking recombinant proteins to DNA. It is based on the nickel-mediated interaction between a hexahistidine tag (His6 -tag) and DNA functionalized with three nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) groups. The resulting DNA,protein linkage is site-specific. It can be broken quickly and controllably by the addition of a chelating agent that binds nickel. We have used this new linker to bind proteins to a variety of DNA motifs commonly used in the fabrication of nanostructures by DNA self-assembly. [source] ChemInform Abstract: MoV2O2+4 Directs the Formation and Subsequent Linking of Potential Building Blocks under Different Boundary Conditions: A Related Set of Novel Cyclic Polyoxomolybdates.CHEMINFORM, Issue 47 2001Achim Mueller Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source] Macrocyclic Hexaureas: Synthesis, Conformation, and Anion BindingCHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 19 2009Denys Meshcheryakov Dr. Abstract Varied flexibility: Cyclic oligoureas are formed by using anions as templates. Linking of six xanthene and/or diphenyl ether fragments by urea groups leads to the formation of five macrocyclic compounds with a 48-membered ring with variable flexibility (see picture). Their interaction with anions shows a strong influence of acetate and chloride ions on the cyclization from four precursor molecules. Five macrocylic compounds XXXXXX, XXDXXD, XDXDXD, XDDXDD, and DDDDDD with 48-membered rings, in which six xanthene and/or diphenyl ether fragments are linked through six urea (-NH-C(O)-NH-) groups, have been synthesized. In the cyclization step, a linear diamine was allowed to react with the appropriate diisocyanate by using a [5+1] (i.e., "XDXDX+D" for XDXDXD), [4+2] (DDDDDD), or [3+3] (XDDXDD) procedure. Compounds XXXXXX and XXDXXD were prepared from two molecules of the dimeric amine XX and two molecules of the respective monomeric diisocyanate (X or D) in a [2+1+2+1] (or 2×[2+1]) reaction. The (nonoptimized) yields in the cyclization step ranged from 45 to 80,%. The linear precursor diamines or diisocyanates were obtained by analogous condensation reactions by using partial protection with a tert -butoxycarbonyl group. All the macrocyclic compounds and synthetic intermediates were characterized by 1H,NMR and mass spectra. Three different crystal structures were obtained for XDDXDD, which show the molecule in a more or less strongly folded conformation determined by intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The interaction of the hexaureas with selected anions was studied by 1H,NMR spectroscopy and UV absorption spectrophotometry. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||