Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Unique Set (unique + set)
Selected AbstractsA Unique Set of Interactions: The MSU Sustained Partnership Model of Nurse Practitioner Primary CareJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 2 2004FNP Assistant Professor, Katherine Dontje MSN Purpose To present a unified conceptual model that identifies the integral processes of nurse practitioner (NP) care delivery and that integrates major structural influences and potential outcomes. The model is further characterized to delineate the unique and "value-added" nature of NP primary care and to describe how this nature may be correlated with specific clinical outcomes. Data Sources Extensive review of the literature, relevant conceptual models, clinical experiences of the authors, and two sets of qualitative data exploring differences between NP practice and other practices. Conclusions The basis of NP primary care is the unique provider-client relationship that develops within the primary care setting. This relationship is oriented toward (a) helping clients become empowered to more appropriately manage their own care in a way that will best meet their needs, (b) encouraging mutual decision making, (c) ensuring clients' continuity of care, and (d) providing a holistic approach to primary care. The major structural influences are NP role components, interdisciplinary practice relationships, budget resources and payer mix, and environmental characteristics. The potential outcomes are increased healthpromoting behaviors, improved utilization of care, higher client satisfaction levels, and improved health status. Implications for Practice NPs can use this model to articulate the unique contribution of NP practice and its interrelationships within the broader primary care setting. Practicing NPs can use this framework to better understand the complexities of their current and future primary care practices. Faculty can utilize the concepts to help guide students' understanding of their prospective roles as advanced practice nurses. Finally, this conceptual framework can inform research about specific NP processes and related outcomes. A clearly delineated model that accurately depicts structures, processes, and outcomes relevant to NP primary care can strengthen NP education, distinguish NP practice, and advance evidenced-based research linking NP practice and outcomes. [source] The Use of Generalizability (G) Theory in the Testing of Linguistic MinoritiesEDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT: ISSUES AND PRACTICE, Issue 1 2006Flores, Guillermo Solano We contend that generalizability (G) theory allows the design of psychometric approaches to testing English-language learners (ELLs) that are consistent with current thinking in linguistics. We used G theory to estimate the amount of measurement error due to code (language or dialect). Fourth- and fifth-grade ELLs, native speakers of Haitian-Creole from two speech communities, were given the same set of mathematics items in the standard English and standard Haitian-Creole dialects (Sample 1) or in the standard and local dialects of Haitian-Creole (Samples 2 and 3). The largest measurement error observed was produced by the interaction of student, item, and code. Our results indicate that the reliability and dependability of ELL achievement measures is affected by two facts that operate in combination: Each test item poses a unique set of linguistic challenges and each student has a unique set of linguistic strengths and weaknesses. This sensitivity to language appears to take place at the level of dialect. Also, students from different speech communities within the same broad linguistic group may differ considerably in the number of items needed to obtain dependable measures of their academic achievement. Whether students are tested in English or in their first language, dialect variation needs to be considered if language as a source of measurement error is to be effectively addressed. [source] Memory of Social Partners in Hermit Crab DominanceETHOLOGY, Issue 3 2005Francesca Gherardi We investigated the possibility that invertebrates recognize conspecific individuals by studying dominance relationships in the long-clawed hermit crab, Pagurus longicarpus. We conducted three sets of laboratory experiments to define the time limits for acquiring and maintaining memory of an individual opponent. The results reveal two characteristics that make individual recognition in this species different from standard associative learning tasks. Firstly, crabs do not require training over many repeated trials; rather, they show evidence of recognition after a single 30-min exposure to a stimulus animal. Secondly, memory lasts for up to 4 d of isolation without reinforcement. A third interesting feature of individual recognition in this species is that familiar opponents are recognized even before the formation of a stable hierarchical rank. That is, recognition seems to be relatively independent of repeated wins (rewards) or losses (punishments) in a dominance hierarchy. The experimental protocol allowed us to show that this species is able to classify conspecifics into two ,heterogeneous subgroups', i.e. familiar vs. unfamiliar individuals, but not to discriminate one individual of a group from every other conspecific from ,a unique set of cues defining that individual'. In other words, we demonstrated a ,binary', and not a ,true', individual recognition. However, 1 d of interactions with different crabs did not erase the memory of a former rival, suggesting that P. longicarpus uses a system of social partner discrimination more refined than previously shown. [source] CAM research: a unique set of challenges?FOCUS ON ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH, Issue 4 2009Edzard Ernst MD, FMedSci, FRCPEd [source] The mechanism of emergenesisGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 4 2006D. T. Lykken Since each individual produced by the sexual process contains a unique set of genes, very exceptional combinations of genes are unlikely to appear twice even within the same family. E. O. Wilson (1978) The intraclass correlations of monozygotic twins who were separated in infancy and reared apart (MZA twins) provide estimates of trait heritability, and the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart [MISTRA: Bouchard et al. (1990), The sources of human psychological differences: the Minnesota study of twins reared apart, Science 250, 223,228] has demonstrated that MZA pairs are as similar in most respects as MZ pairs reared together. Some polygenic traits,e.g. stature, IQ, harm avoidance, negative emotionality, interest in sports,are polygenic-additive, so pairs of relatives resemble one another on the given trait in proportion to their genetic similarity. But the existence and the intensity of other important psychological traits seem to be emergent properties of gene configurations (or configurations of independent and partially genetic traits) that interact multiplicatively rather than additively. Monozygotic (MZ) twins may be strongly correlated on such emergenic traits, while the similarity of dizygotic (DZ) twins, sibs or parent,offspring pairs may be much less than half that of MZ pairs. Some emergenic traits, although strongly genetic, do not appear to run in families. MISTRA has provided at least two examples of traits for which MZA twins are strongly correlated, and DZA pairs correlate near zero, while DZ pairs reared together (DZTs) are about half as similar as MZTs. These findings suggest that even more traits may be emergenic than those already identified. Studies of adoptees reared together (who are perhaps more common than twins reared apart) may help to identify traits that are emergenic, but that also are influenced by a common rearing environment. [source] Primary Ewing sarcoma of the petrous temporal bone: An exceptional cause of facial palsy and deafness in a nurslingHEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 10 2006Jens Pfeiffer MD Abstract Background. Primary Ewing sarcoma affecting the skull base in general and the petrous bone in particular is extremely rare with only 4 reports of Ewing sarcoma arising in the petrous temporal bone in the international medical literature. Methods. The authors report for the first time a case of a primary Ewing sarcoma of the petrous temporal bone in a 5-month-old nursling, which became apparent with a complete peripheral facial palsy and ipsilateral surdity. Results. The neoformation was treated by systemic chemotherapy and radiation of the tumor region. The diagnostic steps, therapy, and development of the child are described in detail; the literature concerning Ewing sarcoma originating from the skull in general and from the petrous temporal bone in particular is reviewed. Conclusions. The highlights of this case are an extremely uncommon location, an unusual age of presentation, as well as a unique set of symptoms. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2006 [source] Chemically Derived Graphene Oxide: Towards Large-Area Thin-Film Electronics and OptoelectronicsADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 22 2010Goki Eda Abstract Chemically derived graphene oxide (GO) possesses a unique set of properties arising from oxygen functional groups that are introduced during chemical exfoliation of graphite. Large-area thin-film deposition of GO, enabled by its solubility in a variety of solvents, offers a route towards GO-based thin-film electronics and optoelectronics. The electrical and optical properties of GO are strongly dependent on its chemical and atomic structure and are tunable over a wide range via chemical engineering. In this Review, the fundamental structure and properties of GO-based thin films are discussed in relation to their potential applications in electronics and optoelectronics. [source] The simulation of heat and water exchange at the land,atmosphere interface for the boreal grassland by the land-surface model SWAPHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 10 2002Yeugeniy M. Gusev Abstract The major goal of this paper is to evaluate the ability of the physically based land surface model SWAP to reproduce heat and water exchange processes that occur in mid-latitude boreal grassland regions characterized by a clear seasonal course of hydrometeorological conditions, deep snow cover, seasonally frozen soil, as well as seasonally mobile and shallow water table depth. A unique set of hydrometeorological data measured over 18 years (1966,83) at the Usadievskiy catchment (grassland) situated in the central part of Valdai Hills (Russia) provides an opportunity to validate the model. To perform such validation in a proper way, SWAP is modified to take into account a shallow water table depth. The new model differs from its previous version mainly in the parameterization of water transfer in a soil column; besides that, it includes soil water,groundwater interaction. A brief description of the new version of SWAP and the results of its validation are presented. Simulations of snow density, snow depth, snow water equivalent, daily snow surface temperature, daily evaporation from snow cover, water yield of snow cover, water table depth, depth of soil freezing and thawing, soil water storage in two layers, daily surface and total runoff from the catchment, and monthly evaporation from the catchment are validated against observations on a long-term basis. The root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of simulations of soil water storage in the layers of 0,50 cm and 0,100 cm are equal to 16 mm and 24 mm respectively; the relative RMSE of simulated annual total runoff is 16%; the RMSE of daily snow surface temperature is 2·9 °C (the temperature varies from 0 to ,46 °C); the RMSE of maximum snow water equivalent (whose value averaged over 18 years is equal to 147 mm) is 32 mm. Analysis of the results of validation shows that the new version of the model SWAP reproduces the heat and water exchange processes occurring in mid-latitude boreal grassland reasonably well. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Neoplastic development in plasma cellsIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2003Michael Potter Summary:, An increasing number of model systems of plasma cell tumor (PCT) formation have been and are being developed. Discussed here are six models in mice and multiple myeloma (MM) in humans. Each model illustrates a unique set of biological factors. There are two general types of model systems: those that depend upon naturally arising mutagenic changes (pristane-induced PCTs, 5TMM, and MM) and those that are associated with oncogenes (Eµ-v-abl), growth factors [interleukin-6 (IL-6)], and anti-apoptotic factors (Bcl-xL/Bcl-2). PCTs develop in several special tissue microenvironments that provide essential cytokines (IL-6) and cell,cell interactions. In mice, the activation and deregulation of c-myc by chromosomal translocations is a major feature in many of the models. This mechanism is much less a factor in MM and the 5T model in mice. Genetically determined susceptibility is involved in many of the mouse models, but only a few genes have been implicated thus far. [source] The impact of brand orientation on managerial practice: a quantitative study of the UK's top 500 fundraising managersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 1 2002Philippa Hankinson This paper explores the impact of brand orientation on the managerial practices of fundraising managers in the top 500 UK charities and, in particular, on their ability to attract voluntary income. A series of hypotheses was tested including whether level of brand orientation is associated with different patterns of influence within charities, with the range and type of brand communicators used and with the extent to which organisational objectives are fulfilled. A key finding of the research was that high brand-oriented fundraising managers attract significantly more voluntary income than low brand-oriented fundraisers, but that level of brand orientation was not related to statutory income. Such findings are consistent with current theory and practice of branding in which a brand is perceived as a product or organisation plus, where the plus indicates a unique set of values which allows differentiation and hence, donor choice, within competitive environments. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications [source] Identifying measures for evaluating new models of nursing care: A survey of NSW nurse practitionersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 6 2007Sandy Middleton RN BAppSc(Nursing) MN PhD Health-care reforms in Australia and worldwide have seen the creation of the position of nurse practitioner (NP). To date, no protocol has been developed in Australia to guide the evaluation of this new role. All NSW authorized NPs were invited to participate in a self-administered questionnaire. Generic process and outcome measures of NP services were taken from a review of the literature. NPs were asked to determine how ,essential' each of these measures would be to describe their clinical practice. Of the 36 eligible authorized NPs in NSW, 30 returned completed questionnaires (83% response rate). The following measures were rated ,essential' by all (100%) NPs: presenting issue as stated by patient; current medications; patient satisfaction with education, quality of care received, and provider knowledge and skill. Our results provide a unique set of indicators with which to evaluate process and outcome measures of NP services. Standard outcome measures will enable NPs to evaluate their service efficiently and to benchmark against other NPs. [source] Cost-effectiveness of blood programmes , the Asia Pacific Blood Network perspectiveISBT SCIENCE SERIES: THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTRACELLULAR TRANSPORT, Issue n2 2009C.-K. Lin Globally, cost management of blood programs is seen as a critical strategic issue. This needs to be balanced with other strategic priorities, including sustainability of the blood system and provision of sufficient, safe and appropriate products and services for patient care. Asia Pacific blood services seek improvement in cost efficiencies through both local initiatives, and through partnering with other countries via international networks such as the Asia Pacific Blood Network (APBN). Through the APBN, blood services participate in 2 key areas that have the potential to yield improved cost efficiencies. These are a.,Comparison of Practice b.,Knowledge Exchange This paper outlines the way in which the APBN members have utilised these opportunities to identify and understand internal and external cost drivers and through this, help address challenges. Cost data is less useful in effecting change than measures of operational efficiency, as well as utilisation and wastage rates. Some common tools and approaches will be discussed, although it is recognized that for each country with its unique set of stakeholders, geography, and socio-political, legal, regulatory and economic parameters, the decisions made may well be quite different but appropriate for the local context. [source] The Taste for Privacy: An Analysis of College Student Privacy Settings in an Online Social NetworkJOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, Issue 1 2008Kevin Lewis The rapid growth of contemporary social network sites (SNSs) has coincided with an increasing concern over personal privacy. College students and adolescents routinely provide personal information on profiles that can be viewed by large numbers of unknown people and potentially used in harmful ways. SNSs like Facebook and MySpace allow users to control the privacy level of their profile, thus limiting access to this information. In this paper, we take the preference for privacy itself as our unit of analysis, and analyze the factors that are predictive of a student having a private versus public profile. Drawing upon a new social network dataset based on Facebook, we argue that privacy behavior is an upshot of both social influences and personal incentives. Students are more likely to have a private profile if their friends and roommates have them; women are more likely to have private profiles than are men; and having a private profile is associated with a higher level of online activity. Finally, students who have private versus public profiles are characterized by a unique set of cultural preferences,of which the "taste for privacy" may be only a small but integral part. Résumé Le goût pour la vie privée : Une analyse des paramètres de vie privée des étudiants universitaires dans un réseau social en ligne L,expansion rapide des sites de réseaux sociaux (SRS) contemporains a coïncidé avec une croissance de la préoccupation pour la vie privée. Les étudiants universitaires et les adolescents affichent régulièrement des informations personnelles sur des profils qui peuvent être consultés par un très grand nombre d'inconnus, informations qui pourraient potentiellement être utilisées de façon dommageable. Les SRS comme Facebook et MySpace permettent aux usagers de contrôler le niveau de vie privée de leur profil, limitant ainsi l,accès à ces informations. Dans cet article, nous considérons la préférence pour la vie privée comme étant notre unité d'analyse. Nous analysons les facteurs qui peuvent prédire si un étudiant ou une étudiante a un profil privé ou public. À partir d,un nouvel ensemble de données sur les réseaux sociaux basé sur Facebook, nous soutenons que les comportements de protection de la vie privée sont une conséquence d'influences sociales et de motivations personnelles : les étudiants sont plus susceptibles d,avoir un profil privé si leurs amis et leurs colocataires en ont un; les femmes sont plus susceptibles que les hommes d'avoir des profils privés et avoir un profil privé est associéà un niveau plus élevé d,activité en ligne. Finalement, les étudiants qui ont des profils privés plutôt que publics sont caractérisés par un ensemble unique de préférences culturelles,desquelles le « goût pour la vie privée » peut n'être qu'une partie, petite mais intégrante. Abstract Studierende und Privatsphäre: Eine Analyse der Privatsphäre-Einstellungen in einem sozialen Online-Netzwerk Das derzeitig rasante Wachstum sozialer Netzwerke geht einher mit einer steigenden Besorgnis über die Privatsphäre. Studierende und Jugendliche geben routinemäßig persönliche Informationen auf ihren Profilen preis, die von vielen auch unbekannten Personen eingesehen und potentiell missbraucht werden kann. Soziale Netzwerke wie Facebook und MySpace geben ihren Nutzern die Möglichkeit, die Privatsphäre ihrer Profile per Einstellung zu beschränken und damit den Zugang zu diesen Informationen zu kontrollieren. In diesem Artikel nutzen wir die individuelle Präferenz für Privatsphäre als Analyseeinheit und untersuchen die Faktoren, mit denen man vorhersagen kann, ob ein Studierender ein eher privates oder öffentliches Profil hat. Auf Basis eines Facebook-Datensatzes argumentieren wir, dass das Verhalten bezüglich der Privatsphäre-Parameter das Ergebnis sozialer Einflüsse und persönlicher Anreize ist. Studierende haben dann häufiger ein privates Profil, wenn ihre Freunde und Mitbewohner eines haben; Frauen haben häufiger private Profile als Männer; und ein privates Profil geht einher mit stärker ausgeprägter Online-Aktivität. Letztendlich lassen sich Studierende mit einem privaten vs. öffentlichen Profil durch ein einmaliges Set an kulturellen Präferenzen charakterisieren , die Vorlieben bezüglich der Privatheit mögen dabei nur ein kleiner aber wichtiger Teil sein. Resumen El Sabor de la Privacidad: Un Análisis de las Opciones de Privacidad en una Red Social Online de Estudiantes Universitarios de Grado El crecimiento rápido de los sitios de redes sociales (SNSs) ha coincidido con un incremento en la preocupación de la privacidad personal. Estudiantes universitarios de grado y adolescentes proveen en forma rutinaria de información personal en sus perfiles que puede ser vista por un gran número de personas desconocidas y puede ser usada en formas potencialmente dañinas. Los SNSs como Facebook y MySpace permiten a los usuarios ejercer control sobre el nivel de privacidad de sus perfiles, limitando así el acceso a esta información. En este articulo, usamos a la preferencia por la privacidad como nuestra unidad de análisis en sí misma, y analizamos los factores que predicen si un estudiante usa perfiles privados versus públicos. Usando unos datos de una nueva red social en Facebook, argumentamos que el comportamiento de la privacidad es el resultado de influencias sociales e incentivos personales. Los estudiantes tuvieron una tendencia mayor a tener perfiles privados si sus amigos y compañeros de cuarto los tenían; las mujeres más que los hombres tuvieron mayores tendencias hacia los perfiles privados; y el tener un perfil privado fue asociado con un mayor nivel de actividad online. Finalmente, los estudiantes que tenían perfiles privados versus públicos fueron caracterizados por una colección de preferencias culturales,de las cuales el "sabor por la privacidad" puede ser una parte pequeña pero integral. ZhaiYao Yo yak [source] Sterilizing the "Feeble-minded": Eugenics in Alberta, Canada, 1929,1972JOURNAL OF HISTORICAL SOCIOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Jana Grekul However, only 60% of these individuals, 2834 in total, were ultimately sterilized since the legislation under which the Eugenics Board operated required patient consent to be obtained unless the individual recommended for sterilization was diagnosed as "mentally defective." Women, teenagers and young adults, and Aboriginals were particularly targeted by the Alberta Eugenics Board. The Board pursued its sterilization mandate extremely aggressively and, because of a unique set of social, political and economic circumstances in the province, continued to operate long after other political jurisdictions in North America had set aside their involuntary sterilization programs. [source] Bubble size distribution modeling in stirred gas,liquid reactors with QMOM augmented by a new correction algorithmAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2010Miriam Petitti Abstract Local gas hold-up and bubbles size distributions have been modeled and validated against experimental data in a stirred gas,liquid reactor, considering two different spargers. An Eulerian multifluid approach coupled with a population balance model (PBM) has been employed to describe the evolution of the bubble size distribution due to break-up and coalescence. The PBM has been solved by resorting to the quadrature method of moments, implemented through user defined functions in the commercial computational fluid dynamics code Fluent v. 6.2. To overcome divergence issues caused by moments corruption, due to numerical problems, a correction scheme for the moments has been implemented; simulation results prove that it plays a crucial role for the stability and the accuracy of the overall approach. Very good agreements between experimental data and simulations predictions are obtained, for a unique set of break-up and coalescence kinetic constants, in a wide range of operating conditions. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010 [source] Synchrotron techniques for metalloproteins and human disease in post genome eraJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 1 2004S. Samar Hasnain Metalloproteins make up some 30% of proteins in known genomes. Metalloproteins are a special class of proteins that utilise the unique properties of metal atoms in conjunction with the macromolecular assembly to perform life-sustaining processes. A number of metalloproteins are known to be involved in many disease states including ageing processes. The incorporation of the metal ion is a very tightly regulated process that, in vivo, very often requires specific chaperons to deliver and help incorporate the metal atom in the macromolecule. The lack of or inappropriate incorporation of metals along with genetic factors can lead to the mis-function of these proteins leading to disease. The mis-functions due to genetic alterations that lead to diseases like ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or motor neuron disease) and Creutzfeld Jacob disease (CJD) are now well recognised. Synchrotron radiation sources provide a unique set of structural tools, which in combination can prove extremely powerful in providing a comprehensive picture of these complex biological systems. In particular for metalloproteins, the combined use of X-ray crystallography, X-ray solution scattering and X-ray spectroscopy (XAFS) is extremely useful. We are currently engaged in a structural study where our aim is to characterize structurally and functionally metalloproteins and then transfer this knowledge to afford the problem of the mis-function of metalloproteins that lead to these terminal illnesses, either due to a gain of function/property or a loss of function/property. In this context, the benefits of adopting the `philosophy' being developed for the structural genomics effort are highlighted. [source] Increasing the efficiency of photodynamic therapy by improved light delivery and oxygen supply using an anticoagulant in a solid tumor modelLASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, Issue 7 2010Liyong Yang MS Abstract Background and Objective The main factors in photodynamic therapy (PDT) are: photosensitizer retention, photon absorption, and oxygen supply. Each factor has its unique set of problems that poses limitation to the treatment. Both light delivery and oxygen supply are significant bottlenecks in PDT. Vascular closure during PDT reduces oxygen supply to the targeted tissue. On the other hand, with the changes in blood perfusion, the tissue optical properties change, and result in variation in irradiation light transmission. For these reasons, it becomes very important to avoid blood coagulation and vascular closure during PDT. Study Design/Materials and Methods The efficiency of PDT combined with the anticoagulant heparin was studied in a BALB/c mouse model with subcutaneous EMT6 mammary carcinomas. Mice were randomized into three groups: control, PDT-only, and PDT with heparin. The photosensitizer Photofrin® was used in our experiments. Light transmission, blood perfusion, and local production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were monitored during the treatment. The corresponding histological examinations were performed to determine the thrombosis immediately after irradiation and to evaluate tumor necrosis 48,hours after the treatment. Results The results clearly demonstrated that PDT combined with pre-administered heparin can significantly reduce thrombosis during light irradiation. The blood perfusion, oxygen supply, and light delivery are all improved. Improved tumor responses in the combined therapy, as shown with the histological examination and tumor growth assay, are clearly demonstrated and related to an increased local ROS production. Conclusion Transitory anticoagulation treatment significantly enhances the antitumor effect of PDT. It is mainly due to the improvement of the light delivery and oxygen supply in tumor, and ultimately the amount of ROS produced during PDT. Lasers Surg. Med. 42:671,679, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Identification of quantitative trait loci for drought tolerance at seedling stage by screening a large number of introgression lines in maizePLANT BREEDING, Issue 4 2009Z. Hao Abstract The maize genome hosts tremendous phenotypic and molecular diversity. Introgression lines (ILs), developed by continuous backcrossing to recurrent parents, could provide a unique genetic stock for quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. Using maize lines from six heterotic groups of different ecological zones, we developed >500 BC2F2 IL sets by crossing 11 inbred lines (as recurrent parents) with >200 local maize inbred lines (as donor parents). Of them, 34 IL sets were selected as a subset for drought tolerance screening and a total of 417 ILs survived under severe water stress at seedling stage. One set of 32 surviving ILs, derived from Chang7-2/DHuang212, was used for QTL mapping with simple sequence repeat markers covering the whole genome, with seven QTL detected. Furthermore, investigating all surviving ILs, we identified two common regions in bin 3.04, corresponding to marker intervals bnlg1904,umc1772 and umc1223,bnlg1957, respectively, which shared high genetic variation in three IL sets. Our results indicated that selective genotyping can be used to identify genetic loci for complex traits. The ILs, highly selected for drought tolerance in this study, provide a unique set of materials for both genomic studies and development of enhanced germplasm resources. [source] The determination of membrane transport parameters with the cell pressure probe: theory suggests that unstirred layers have significant impactPLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 12 2005MELVIN T. TYREE ABSTRACT A simulation model was written to compute the time-kinetics of turgor pressure, P, change in Chara corallina during cell pressure probe experiments. The model allowed for the contribution of a membrane plus zero, one, or two unstirred layers of any desired thickness. The hypothesis that a cell with an unstirred layer is a composite membrane that will follow the same kind of kinetics with or without unstirred layers was tested. Typical ,osmotic pulse' experiments yield biphasic curves with minimum or maximum pressures, Pmin(max), at time tmin(max) and a solute exponential decay with halftime . These observed data were then used to compute composite membrane properties, namely the parameters Lp = the hydraulic conductance, , = reflection coefficient and Ps = solute permeability using theoretical equations. Using the simulation model, it was possible to fit an experimental data set to the same values of Pmin(max), tmin(max) and incorporating different, likely values of unstirred layer thickness, where each thickness requires a unique set of plasmalemma membrane values of Lp, , and Ps. We conclude that it is not possible to compute plasmalemma membrane properties from cell pressure probe experiments without independent knowledge of the unstirred layer thickness. [source] Convergence study of a Schrödinger-equation algorithm and structure-factor determination from the wavefunctionACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION A, Issue 4 2008Kostas Bethanis The algorithm [Bethanis, Tzamalis, Hountas & Tsoucaris (2002). Acta Cryst. A58, 265,269] which reformulates the quantum-mechanical problem of solving a Schrödinger (S) equation in a crystallographic context has been upgraded and tested for many aspects of convergence. The upgraded algorithm in reciprocal space aims at determining a wavefunction ,H such that (a) ,H fulfils the S equation within certain precision and (b) ,H minimizes by least squares the differences between the calculated structure factors from the wavefunction and the observed ones. Calculations have been made with three molecules (11, 41 and 110 non-H atoms in the asymmetric unit) for different numbers of initially given phases. Three main questions have been addressed: (I) Does the iterative calculation of the wavefunction converge? (II) Do the calculated wavefunctions converge to a unique set of ,H values independent of the initial random set of ,H? (III) Is the calculated ,H set a good approximation of a wavefunction able to produce within certain errors the correct values of the phases of the structure factors? Concerning questions (I) and (II), our results give a strong hint about fast convergence to a unique wavefunction independent of the arbitrary starting wavefunction. This is an essential prerequisite for practical applications. For question (III) in the case closer to the ab initio situation, the final mean phase error, respectively, for the three structures is 3, 26 and 28°. The combination of (a) and (b) in the upgraded algorithm has been proved crucial especially for the results concerning the larger structures. [source] Molecular Mechanisms of Microtubular Organelle Assembly in TetrahymenaTHE JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2000JACEK GAERTIG ABSTRACT. Thanks to recent technological advances, the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila has emerged as an attractive model organism for studies on the assembly of microtubular organelles in a single cell. Tetrahymena assembles 17 types of distinct microtubules, which are localix.ed in cilia, cell cortex, nuclei, and the endoplasm. These diverse microtubules have distinct morphologies, stabilities, and associations with specific Microtubule-Assoeiated Proteins. For example, kinesin-111, a microtubular motor protein, is required for assembly of cilia and is preferentially targeted to microtubules of actively assembled, immature cilia. It is unlikely that the unique properties of individual microtubules are derived from the utilization of diverse tubulin genes, because Tetrahymena expresses only a single isotype of ,-and two isotypes of ,-tubulin. However, Tetrahymena tubulins are modified secondarily by a host of post-translational mechanisms. Each microtubule organelle type displays a unique set of secondary tubulin modifications. The results of systematic in vivo mutational analyses of modification sites indicate a divergence in significance among post-translational mechanisms affecting either ,-or ,-tubulin. Both acetylation and polyglycylation of ,-tubulin are not essential and their complete elimination does not change the cell's phenotype in an appreciable way. However, the multiple polyglycylation sites on ,-tubulin are essential for survival, and their partial elimination dramatically affects cell motility, growth and morphology. Thus, both high-precision targeting of molecular motors to individual organelles as well as organelle-specific tubulin modifications contribute to the creation of diverse microtubules in a single cytoplasm of Tetrahymena. [source] Gene profiling and pathway analysis of neuroendocrine transdifferentiated prostate cancer cellsTHE PROSTATE, Issue 1 2009Ryutaro Mori Abstract BACKGROUND Neuroendocrine (NE) cells are present in both normal prostate and prostate cancer. In addition, NE differentiation can be induced by various factors, such as IL-6, in vitro and in vivo. However, the mechanism of this differentiation and the role of NE cells in prostate cancer are not well understood. In this study, we evaluated the gene expression and analyzed the pathways in prostate cancer cells exposed to various NE differentiation inducing factors in vitro. METHODS Gene expression signatures between control LNCaP cells and each treatment induced NE cell line were compared using Affymetrix GeneChip with network and pathway analysis. RESULTS All treatments were able to transdifferentiate LNCaP cells into NE phenotype as shown by morphology changes and NE marker measurements. Of the 54,675 oligonucleotide-based probe sets in microarray, 44,975 were mapped into the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis database and were filtered according to the t -test P value. At P,<,0.002, the number of genes that were differentially expressed included 302 of the IL-6 treated cells, 201 of genistein, 233 of epinephrine, and 191 of the charcoal stripped serum ones. A pooled data approach also showed 346 differentially expressed genes at the same P value. Gene ontology analysis showed that cancer-related function had the highest significance. CONCLUSIONS Despite some overlap, each NE transdifferentiation inducing treatment was associated with a changed expression of a unique set of genes, and such gene profiling may help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in NE transdifferentiation of prostate cancer cells. Prostate 69: 12,23, 2009. © 2008 Wiley,Liss, Inc. [source] ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES FOR UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE GLOBAL FOOD CRISISANNALS OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL PRACTICE, Issue 1 2009Sunil K. Khanna The current global food crisis can be, in part, described as an outcome of not only historical patterns of income inequalities and long-standing food trade policies biased in favor of wealthier nations but also in terms of significant reductions in food aid and other safety-net programs for people living in poor nations. Despite the serious nature of the problem of food insecurity, only a limited amount of reliable descriptive research, especially at the community level, has explored the causes and consequences of the current food crisis. Anthropology offers a unique set of methodological and theoretical approaches that can be useful for designing, implementing, and evaluating programs and policies aimed at alleviating poverty and reducing food insecurity. Anthropologically informed research can provide a dynamic understanding of food insecurity in terms of its causes and consequences and its local, regional, and global underpinnings. This information can be helpful in incorporating a community-level understanding of the "local" determinants of food insecurity for developing effective and sustainable food policy and intervention programs. [source] Considerations for the Recovery of Recombinant Proteins from PlantsBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 4 2004Todd J. Menkhaus The past 5 years have seen the commercialization of two recombinant protein products from transgenic plants, and many recombinant therapeutic proteins produced in plants are currently undergoing development. The emergence of plants as an alternative production host has brought new challenges and opportunities to downstream processing efforts. Plant hosts contain a unique set of matrix contaminants (proteins, oils, phenolic compounds, etc.) that must be removed during purification of the target protein. Furthermore, plant solids, which require early removal after extraction, are generally in higher concentration, wider in size range, and denser than traditional bacterial and mammalian cell culture debris. At the same time, there remains the desire to incorporate highly selective and integrative separation technologies (those capable of performing multiple tasks) during the purification process from plant material. The general plant processing and purification scheme consists of isolation of the plant tissue containing the recombinant protein, fractionation of the tissue along with particle size reduction, extraction of the target protein into an aqueous medium, clarification of the crude extract, and finally purification of the product. Each of these areas will be discussed here, focusing on what has been learned and where potential concerns remain. We also present details of how the choice of plant host, along with location within the plant for targeting the recombinant protein, can play an important role in the ultimate ease of recovery and the emergence of regulations governing plant hosts. Major emphasis is placed on three crops, canola, corn, and soy, with brief discussions of tobacco and rice. [source] Tailored Control and Optimisation of the Number of Phosphonic Acid Termini on Phosphorus-Containing Dendrimers for the Ex-Vivo Activation of Human MonocytesCHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 16 2008Olivier Rolland Abstract The syntheses of a series of phosphonic acid-capped dendrimers is described. This collection is based on a unique set of dendritic structural parameters,cyclo(triphosphazene) core, benzylhydrazone branches and phosphonic acid surface,and was designed to study the influence of phosphonate (phosphonic acid) surface loading towards the activation of human monocytes ex vivo. Starting from the versatile hexachloro-cyclo(triphosphazene) N3P3Cl6, six first-generation dendrimers were obtained, bearing one to six full branches, that lead to 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 phosphonate termini, respectively. The surface loading was also explored at the limit of dense packing by means of a first-generation dendrimer having a cyclo(tetraphosphazene) core and bearing 32 termini, and with a first-generation dendrimer based on a AB2/CD5 growing pattern and bearing 60 termini. Human monocyte activation by these dendrimers confirms the requirement of the whole dendritic structure for bioactivity and identifies the dendrimer bearing four branches, thus 16 phosphonate termini, as the most bioactive. [source] Exploring the Relation between Amplification and Binding in Dynamic Combinatorial Libraries of Macrocyclic Synthetic Receptors in WaterCHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 7 2008Peter Abstract Herein we describe an extensive study of the response of a set of closely related dynamic combinatorial libraries (DCLs) of macrocyclic receptors to the introduction of a focused range of guest molecules. We have determined the amplification of two sets of diastereomeric receptors induced by a series of neutral and cationic guests, including biologically relevant compounds such as acetylcholine and morphine. The host,guest binding affinities were investigated using isothermal titration calorimetry. The resulting dataset enabled a detailed analysis of the relationship between the amplification of selected receptors and host,guest Gibbs binding energies, giving insight into the factors affecting the design, simulation and interpretation of DCL experiments. In particular, two questions were addressed: Is amplification by a given guest selective for the best receptor? And does the best guest induce the largest amplification of a given receptor? Our experimental results and computer simulations showed that the relative levels of amplification of hosts by a guest are well-correlated with their relative affinities, and simulations have confirmed previous observations that amplification can be selective for the best receptor when only modest amounts of guest are used. In contrast, the correlation between guest binding and the extent of amplification of a given receptor across a wide range of guests tends to be poorer, because every guest has its own unique set of affinities for competing receptors in the DCL. This implies that the results of screening a DCL for selective receptors by comparing the response of the mixture to two different guests should be interpreted with caution. DCLs are complex mixtures in which all compounds are connected through a set of equilibria. Obtaining quantitative information about all host,guest binding constants from such systems will require the explicit and simultaneous consideration of all of the main equilibria within a DCL. [source] Predictors of clinical outcome in children undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation for acute and chronic liver diseaseLIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 9 2006Chris Rhee The current United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) policy is to allocate liver grafts to pediatric patients with chronic liver disease based on the pediatric end-stage liver disease (PELD) scoring system, while children with fulminant hepatic failure may be urgently listed as Status 1a. The objective of this study was to identify pre-transplant variables that influence patient and graft survival in those children undergoing LTx (liver transplantion) for FHF (fulminant hepatic failure) compared to those patients transplanted for extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA), a chronic form of liver disease. The UNOS Liver Transplant Registry was examined for pediatric liver transplants performed for FHF and EHBA from 1987 to 2002. Variables that influenced patient and graft survival were assessed using univariate and multivariate analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis of FHF and EHBA groups revealed that 5 year patient and graft survival were both significantly worse (P < 0.0001) in those patients who underwent transplantation for FHF. Multivariate analysis of 29 variables subsequently revealed distinct sets of factors that influenced patient and graft survival for both FHF and EHBA. These results confirm that separate prioritizing systems for LTx are needed for children with chronic liver disease and FHF; additionally, our findings illustrate that there are unique sets of variables which predict survival following LTx for these two groups. Liver Transpl 12:1347-1356, 2006. © 2006 AASLD. [source] Exploring prokaryotic diversity: there are other molecular worldsMOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Luis Angel Fernández Summary Prokaryotes are the major source of biological diversity on earth. This is not simply because of the large number of species present, or because of their diverse growth conditions and environmental niches populated by them, but because of the wealth of genes, metabolic pathways and molecular processes that are only found in prokaryotic cells. Therefore, Bacteria and Archaea (and their phages) cannot be considered any longer as miniaturized models of Eukaryotes, but as a genuine source of unique biological processes that are mediated by unique sets of genes and molecular devices. A true understanding of complex biological phenomena will require a deeper knowledge of this vast prokaryotic world. The second European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) conference on Molecular Microbiology entitled ,Exploring Prokaryotic Diversity' explored many aspects of this newly emerging interest in the prokaryotic world. [source] The Microfoundations of Corporatist Intervention: Dairying's Collective Action Problems in Canada and England during the 1930s Depression,CANADIAN REVIEW OF SOCIOLOGY/REVUE CANADIENNE DE SOCIOLOGIE, Issue 4 2000Roy C. Barnes Dans cet article, nous démontrons l'utilité d'une approche microfondamentale dans la compréhension de phénomènes sociaux de plus grande ampleur. Grâce à l'analyse des questions de recours collectifs, qui se sont posées aux différents acteurs, au Canada et en Angleterre, nous établissons un lien informel entre la macrovariable de « structure de l'industrie » et les formes divergentes de réglementation corporatiste instaurées dans les années 1930. Après avoir expliqué les caracteéristiques centrales de l'approche microfondamentale et souligné les aspects importants de la théorie des jeux et du concept de choix rationnel, nous examinons les témoignages élaborés, présentés dans le cadre de commissions et de comités du gouvernement. Ces données comparatives et historiques fournissent les bases qui permettent de comprendre la manière dont les différentes structures de l'industrie ont causé des problèmes de réglementation uniques pour les gouvernements canadien et britannique. This paper argues for the utility of a microfoundational approach to understanding larger social phenomena. Through an analysis of the collective action problems experienced by the various actors in both Canada and England, I wish to establish a causal link between the macro-level variable "industry structure" and the divergent forms of corporatist regulation instituted in the 1930s. After clarifying the central features of my microfoundational approach and highlighting important aspects of game theory and rational choice explanations, I review the extensive sets of testimonies given before governmental commissions and committees. These comparative and historical data provide the foundations for understanding how distinct industry structures produced unique sets of regulatory problems for the Canadian and British governments. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||