Lycopodiella inundata: insights into plant-fungal associations in early vascular plants

Recent studies have revealed that extant basal vascular plants associate with a wide range of Mucoromycotina and/or Glomeromycota fungi, paralleling the same in non-vascular liverworts and hornworts. This dispels the long-held paradigm that these early diverging lineages harbour Glomeromycota exclusively. Endophytes belonging to both fungal lineages have also been reported, for the first time, in a Devonian plant (Horneophyton ligneri). Together these discoveries point to much more diverse plant-fungus interactions in early vascular plants than previously assumed, however our understanding of these remains limited. In order to gain further insights into these key partnerships, especially those involving the early diverging Mucoromycotina, we are developing the lycophyte Lycopodiella inundata as an experimental system. L. inundata sporophytes have been shown to harbour solely Mucoromycotina fungi but equally fundamental, the identity of its gametophyte endophyte remains unknown. Using molecular and cytological approaches, we confirm that young L. inundata sporophytes are colonized exclusively by Mucoromycotina and show that the cytology of colonisation - consisting of both inter- and intracellular phases - closely resembles that in Haplomitriopsida liverwort-Mucoromycotina partnerships and the corm of H. ligneri. Our current isolation, resynthesis and molecular studies will provide further insights into both host and fungi specificity.This is a poster presented The Rhynie Chert – our earliest terrestrial ecosystem revisited. For more information on the conference consult the above links

Practical Implementations of Twirl Operations

Twirl operations, which convert impure singlet states into Werner states, play an important role in many schemes for entanglement purification. In this paper we describe strategies for implementing twirl operations, with an emphasis on methods suitable for ensemble quantum information processors such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) quantum computers. We implement our twirl operation on a general two-spin mixed state using liquid state NMR techniques, demonstrating that we can obtain the singlet Werner state with high fidelity.Comment: 6 pages RevTex4 including 2 figures (fig 1 low quality to save space

The gene product Murr1 restricts HIV-1 replication in resting CD4(+) lymphocytes

Although human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infects quiescent and proliferating CD4(+) lymphocytes, the virus replicates poorly in resting T cells(1-6). Factors that block viral replication in these cells might help to prolong the asymptomatic phase of HIV infection(7); however, the molecular mechanisms that control this process are not fully understood. Here we show that Murr1, a gene product known previously for its involvement in copper regulation(8,9), inhibits HIV-1 growth in unstimulated CD4(+) T cells. This inhibition was mediated in part through its ability to inhibit basal and cytokine-stimulated nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activity. Knockdown of Murr1 increased NF-kappaB activity and decreased IkappaB-alpha concentrations by facilitating phospho-IkappaB-alpha degradation by the proteasome. Murr1 was detected in CD4(+) T cells, and RNA-mediated interference of Murr1 in primary resting CD4(+) lymphocytes increased HIV-1 replication. Through its effects on the proteasome, Murr1 acts as a genetic restriction factor that inhibits HIV-1 replication in lymphocytes, which could contribute to the regulation of asymptomatic HIV infection and the progression of AIDS.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/62709/1/nature02171.pd

Using structure-based organic chemistry online tutorials with automated correction for student practice and review

This article describes the development and implementation of an open-access organic chemistry question bank for online tutorials and assessments at University College Cork and Dublin Institute of Technology. SOCOT (structure-based organic chemistry online tutorials) may be used to supplement traditional small-group tutorials, thereby allowing students to develop essential problem-solving skills in organic chemistry. This online approach may be used for both formative and summative assessment. Students complete one problem set weekly or fortnightly, which consists of a number of questions of varying difficulty. A wide range of question types is possible; for example, prediction of reaction products, identification of reaction intermediates or reagents, and retrosynthetic analyses. Questions involving stereochemistry may be also be incorporated. The implementation is described, along with several sample questions and advice for creating questions. This approach is suitable for all levels of undergraduates, from introductory nonmajors to final-year chemistry students. Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and in particular, students found SOCOT to be a quite useful tool for review purposes. Our approach uses MarvinSketch, which is free for academic purposes, and the SMILES algorithm, which converts chemical structures into a text string and is compatible with any learning management system

Why do authoritarian regimes provide public goods? Policy communities, external shocks and ideas in China’s rural social policy making

Recent research on authoritarian regimes argues that they provide public goods in order to prevent rebellion. This essay shows that the ‘threat of rebellion’ alone cannot explain Chinese party-state policies to extend public goods to rural residents in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Drawing on theories of policy making, it argues that China’s one-party regime extended public goods to the rural population under the influence of ideas and policy options generated by policy communities of officials, researchers, international organisations and other actors. The party-state centre adopted and implemented these ideas and policy options when they provided solutions to external shocks and supported economic development goals. Explanations of policies and their outcomes in authoritarian political systems need to include not only ‘dictators’ but also other actors, and the ideas they generate

Prevalence of deleterious variants in MC3R in patients with constitutional delay of growth and puberty.

CONTEXT: The melanocortin 3 receptor (MC3R) has recently emerged as a critical regulator of pubertal timing, linear growth and the acquisition of lean mass in humans and mice. In population-based studies, heterozygous carriers of deleterious variants in MC3R report a later onset of puberty than non-carriers. However, the frequency of such variants in patients who present with clinical disorders of pubertal development is currently unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether deleterious MC3R variants are more frequently found in patients clinically presenting with constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) or normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (nIHH). DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We examined the sequence of MC3R in 362 adolescents with a clinical diagnosis of CDGP and 657 patients with nIHH, experimentally characterised the signalling properties of all non-synonymous variants found and compared their frequency to that in 5774 controls from a population-based cohort. Additionally, we established the relative frequency of predicted deleterious variants in individuals with self-reported delayed vs normally timed menarche/voice breaking in the UK Biobank cohort. RESULTS: MC3R loss-of-function variants were infrequent but overrepresented in patients with CDGP (8/362 (2.2%), OR = 4.17, p = 0.001). There was no strong evidence of overrepresentation in patients with nIHH (4/657 (0.6%), OR = 1.15, p = 0.779). In 246,328 women from UK Biobank, predicted deleterious variants were more frequently found in those self-reporting delayed (≥16 years) vs normal age at menarche (OR = 1.66, p = 3.90E-07). CONCLUSIONS: We have found evidence that functionally damaging variants in MC3R are overrepresented in individuals with CDGP but are not a common cause of this phenotype

Does type of hospital ownership influence physicians' daily work schedules? An observational real-time study in German hospital departments

Background: During the last two decades the German hospital sector has been engaged in a constant process of transformation. One obvious sign of this is the growing amount of hospital privatization. To date, most research studies have focused on the effects of privatization regarding financial outcomes and quality of care, leaving important organizational issues unexplored. Yet little attention has been devoted to the effects of privatization on physicians' working routines. The aim of this observational real-time study is to deliver exact data about physicians' work at hospitals of different ownership. By analysing working hours, further impacts of hospital privatization can be assessed and areas of improvement identified. Methods: Observations were made by shadowing 100 physicians working in private, for-profit or non-profit as well as public hospital departments individually during whole weekday shifts in urban German settings. A total of 300 days of observations were conducted. All working activities were recorded, accurate to the second, by using a mobile personal computer. Results: Results have shown significant differences in physicians' working activities, depending on hospital ownership, concerning working hours and time spent on direct and indirect patient care. Conclusion: This is the first real-time analysis on differences in work activities depending on hospital ownership. The study provides an objective insight into physicians' daily work routines at hospitals of different ownership, with additional information on effects of hospital privatization

Vietnam military service history and prostate cancer

BACKGROUND: Three decades after US and Australian forces withdrew from Vietnam, there has been much public interest in the health consequences of service in Vietnam. One controversial question is whether the risk of prostate cancer amongst Vietnam veterans is increased. This paper examines relationships between military history, family history and risk of prostate cancer in a population-based case control study. METHODS: Cases were selected from the Cancer Registry of Western Australia as incident cases of histologically-confirmed prostate cancer, and controls were age-matched and selected from the Western Australian electoral roll. Study participants were asked to report any military service history and details about that service. RESULTS: Between January 2001 and September 2002, 606 cases and 471 controls aged between 40–75 years were recruited. An increased prostate cancer risk was observed in men reporting they were deployed in Vietnam although this was not statistically significant (OR = 2.12; 95% CI 0.88–5.06). An increased risk was also observed in men reporting prostate cancer in fathers (OR = 1.90; 95% CI 1.20–3.00) or brothers (OR = 2.05; 95% CI 1.20–3.50) diagnosed with prostate cancer. CONCLUSION: These findings support a positive association between prostate cancer and military service history in the Vietnam war and a first degree relative family history of prostate cancer

Skeletal Muscle Differentiation Evokes Endogenous XIAP to Restrict the Apoptotic Pathway

Myotube apoptosis occurs normally during muscle development and aging but it can lead to destruction of skeletal muscle in neuromuscular diseases. Therefore, understanding how myotube apoptosis is regulated is important for developing novel strategies for treatment of muscle loss. We investigated the regulation of apoptosis in skeletal muscle and report a striking increase in resistance to apoptosis following differentiation. We find mitotic C2C12 cells (myoblast-like cells) are sensitive to cytosolic cytochrome c microinjection. However, differentiated C2C12 cells (myotube-like cells) and primary myotubes are markedly resistant. This resistance is due to endogenous X-linked inhibitor of apoptotic protein (XIAP). Importantly, the selective difference in the ability of XIAP to block myotube but not myoblast apoptosis is not due to a change in XIAP but rather a decrease in Apaf-1 expression. This decrease in Apaf-1 links XIAP to caspase activation and death. Our findings suggest that in order for myotubes to die, they may degrade XIAP, functionally inactivate XIAP or upregulate Apaf-1. Importantly, we identify a role for endogenous Smac in overcoming XIAP to allow myotube death. However, in postmitotic cardiomyocytes, where XIAP also restricts apoptosis, endogenous Smac was not capable of overcoming XIAP to cause death. These results show that as skeletal muscle differentiate, they become resistant to apoptosis because of the ability of XIAP to regulate caspase activation. The increased restriction of apoptosis in myotubes is presumably important to ensure the long term survival of these postmitotic cells as they play a vital role in the physiology of organisms