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Selected AbstractsSirt1's beneficial roles in neurodegenerative diseases , a chaperonin containing TCP-1 (CCT) connection?AGING CELL, Issue 5 2010Bin Qi Gan Summary Sir2/Sirt1 and its orthologues are known lifespan extension factors in several aging models from yeast to invertebrates. Sirt1 activation is also known to be beneficial and protective in both invertebrate and mammalian models of neurodegenerative disease. Sirt1's lifespan extension effect, as well as the beneficial outcome of its activation in models of aging-associated diseases, is often attributed to its ability to instill a gene expression profile that is pro-survival and anti-aging. A recent report from Nyström and colleagues showed that the yeast Sir2p affects the function of the polarisome in segregation and retrograde transport of damaged and aggregated proteins from the bud to the mother cell, thereby ensuring the generation of a ,rejuvenated' daughter cell. Interestingly, the role of Sir2p in this case involves deacetylation and activation of cytoplasmic chaperonin containing TCP-1 (CCT, or TriC), thereby enhancing actin folding and polymerization. In view of a previously documented role of CCT in modulating polyglutamine-containing protein aggregation and toxicity, we hypothesized that CCT deacetylation may also underlie Sirt1's beneficial effects in several neurodegenerative diseases precipitated by toxic aggregates. Other than alterations in gene expression profile, another major way whereby Sirt1 activation may counter neural aging could be to promote neuronal survival via prevention of toxic aggregate formation through CCT. [source] Inflammation: A new candidate in modulating adult neurogenesisJOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 6 2008Sulagna Das Abstract Any pathological perturbation to the brain provokes a cascade of molecular and cellular events, which manifests in the form of microglial activation and release of various proinflammatory molecules. This eventually culminates in a profound neuroinflammatory reaction that characterizes the brain's response to stress, injury, or infection. The inflammatory cascade is an attempt by the system to eliminate the challenge imposed on the brain, clear the system of the dead and damaged neurons, and rescue the normal functioning of this vital organ. However, during the process of microglial activation, the proinflammatory mediators released exert certain detrimental effects, and neural stem cells and progenitor cells are likely to be affected. Here we review how the proliferation, maturation, and migration of the neural stem cells are modulated under such an inflammatory condition. The fate of the noncommitted neural stem cells and its differentiation potency are often under strict regulation, and these proinflammatory mediators seem to disrupt this critical balance and finely tune the neurogenesis pattern in the two niches of neurogenesis, the subventricular zone and the subgranular zone of the hippocampus. Moreover, the migration ability of these stem cells, which is important for localization to the proper site, is also affected in a major way by the chemokines released following inflammation. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The Arabidopsis thaliana ATP-binding cassette proteins: an emerging superfamilyPLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 5 2000T. G. E. Davies ABSTRACT Solute transport systems are one of the major ways in which organisms interact with their environment. Typically, transport is catalysed by integral membrane proteins, of which one of the largest groups is the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins. On the basis of sequence similarities, a large family of ABC proteins has been identified in Arabidopsis. A total of 60 open reading frames (ORFs) encoding ABC proteins were identified by BLAST homology searching of the nuclear genome. These 60 putative proteins include 89 ABC domains. Based on the assignment of transmembrane domains (TMDs), at least 49 of the 60 proteins identified are ABC transporters. Of these 49 proteins, 28 are full-length ABC transporters (eight of which have been described previously), and 21 are uncharacterized half-transporters. Three of the remaining proteins identified appear to be soluble, lacking identifiable TMDs, and most likely have non-transport functions. The eight other ORFs have homology to the nucleotide-binding and transmembrane components of multi-subunit permeases. The majority of ABC proteins found in Arabidopsis can, on the basis of sequence homology, be assigned to subfamilies equivalent to those found in the yeast genome. This assignment of the Arabidopsis ABC proteins into easily recognizable subfamilies (with distinguishable subclusters) is an important first step in the elucidation of their functional role in higher plants. [source] Promoting evidence-based psychosocial care for cancer patients,PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Paul B. Jacobsen Abstract With numerous studies demonstrating that psychosocial care reduces distress and improves quality of life, practitioners have an obligation to treat cancer patients in a manner consistent with this evidence. Although the rationale is straightforward, major challenges exist in achieving the goal of translating research into clinical practice. One challenge has been the nature of the evidence, with many studies of psychosocial interventions characterized by poor methodological quality, absence of eligibility criteria specifying heightened distress, and minimal consideration of dissemination potential. A second challenge has been to make practitioners aware of relevant evidence. Targeted efforts at dissemination, such as the issuance of clinical practice guidelines and evidence-based recommendations and the distribution of intervention materials via the Internet, appear to be more effective than passive efforts in providing practitioners with useful information. Perhaps the most challenging aspect has been to persuade practitioners to change how they practice. One approach currently under development would allow practitioners and health-care organizations to perform self-evaluations of the quality of their psychosocial care based on review of medical records. Feedback showing quality of care to be less than optimal is likely to motivate change, especially if the quality indicators assessed are considered to be important and reliable and point to specific actions that can be taken. The use of evidence to promote changes in clinical practice represents one of the major ways in which the field of psycho-oncology can fully realize its potential to positively affect the lives of people with cancer. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Commentary: Has Australia (or Any Other Jurisdiction) ,Adopted' IFRS?1AUSTRALIAN ACCOUNTING REVIEW, Issue 2 2010Stephen A. Zeff This paper replies to a statement made in this journal that ,Australia definitely adopts IFRSs'. We analyse and compare the several methods that jurisdictions can use to implement International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). These include adopting the International Accounting Standards Board's (IASB) process of setting standards, as well as various forms of standard-by-standard implementation. We conclude that the Australian method of implementation is different in major ways from those used in such countries as Israel and South Africa, which involve adopting the IASB's process. By contrast, Australia follows a multi-step process of enrolling each new standard into a category still entitled ,Australian Accounting Standards'. To refer to the Australian method as ,adoption' of IFRS might therefore mislead, even though Australian companies eventually comply with IFRS. [source] |