Enhanced Labeling Techniques to Study the Cytoskeleton During Root Growth and Gravitropism

Gravity effects the growth and development of all living organisms. One of the most obvious manifestations of gravity's effects on biological systems lies in the ability of plants to direct their growth along a path that is dictated by the gravity vector (called gravitropism). When positioned horizontally, in florescence stems and hypocotyls in dicots, and pulvini in monocots, respond by bending upward whereas roots typically bend downward. Gravitropism allows plants to readjust their growth to maximize light absorption for photosynthesis and to more efficiently acquire water and nutrients form the soil. Despite its significance for plant survival, there are still major gaps in understanding the cellular and molecular processes by which plants respond to gravity. The major aim of this proposal was to develop improved fluorescence labeling techniques to aid in understanding how the cytoskeleton modulated plant responses to gravity

Short Communication: Frankliniella tenuicornis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), a novel harmful insect to banana (Musa sp.) crops

Aim of study: This study aimed to record a previously unknown harmful insect to banana (Musa sp.) crops, Frankliniella tenuicornis (Uzel).Area of study: Thrips individuals were collected from banana fields located in Paphos District, Cyprus.Material and methods: Specimens of thrips were mounted in permanent microscope and identified using specialized literature. Voucher specimens are deposited in Coleção de História Natural da UFPI, Brazil. Images for species and damage recognition were obtained.Main results: The thrips causes a red-brownish discoloration at the spots where banana fruits touch each other. This cosmetic damage reduces the marketability and/or price of banana fruits. In addition, F. tenuicornis is recorded for the first time in the island of Cyprus.Research highlights: This is the first record of F. tenuicornis damaging banana crops. It constitutes the basic step for future studies in order to produce possible suitable control methods against the new phytosanitary problem

Divergence and Redundancy in CSLD2 and CSLD3 Function During Arabidopsis Thaliana Root Hair and Female Gametophyte Development

The Arabidopsis cellulose synthase-like D (CSLD) 2 and 3 genes are known to function in root hair development. Here, we show that these genes also play a role in female gametophyte development because csld2 csld3 double mutants were observed to have low seed set that could be traced to defects in female transmission efficiency. Cell biological studies of csld2 csld3 ovules showed synergid cell degeneration during megagametogenesis and reduced pollen tube penetration during fertilization. Although CSLD2 and CSLD3 function redundantly in female gametophyte development, detailed analyses of root hair phenotypes of progeny from genetic crosses between csld2 and csld3, suggest that CSLD3 might play a more prominent role than CSLD2 in root hair development. Phylogenetic and gene duplication studies of CSLD2 and CSLD3 homologs in Arabidopsis lyrata, Populus, Medicago, maize, and Physcomitrella were further performed to investigate the course of evolution for these genes. Our analyses indicate that the ancestor of land plants possibly contained two copies of CSLD genes, one of which developed into the CSLD5 lineage in flowering plants, and the other formed the CSLD1/2/3/4 clade. In addition, CSLD2 and CSLD3 likely originated from a recent genome-wide duplication event explaining their redundancy. Moreover, sliding-window dN/dS analysis showed that most of the coding regions of CSLD2 and CSLD3 have been under strong purifying selection pressure. However, the region that encodes the N-terminus of CSLD3 has been under relatively relaxed selection pressure as indicated by its high dN/dS value, suggesting that CSLD3 might have gained additional functions through more frequent non-synonymous sequence changes at the N-terminus, which could partly explain the more prominent role of CSLD3 during root hair development compared to CSLD2

College Student Exercise Motivation: The Role of Belongingness and College Self-Efficacy

This study examined the role of college self-efficacy in the relationship between university belongingness and exercise motivation among a group of college students (N = 311). Multiple social factors have been identified as playing an important role in students’ physical health and wellness (Leslie et al., 1999; Wallace et al., 2000); however, the mechanisms by which university belongingness influences various exercise motives are unexplored. In the current study, college self-efficacy was examined as a mediator between university belongingness and six types of exercise motivation: stress management, appearance, enjoyment, revitalization, weight management, and positive health (Markland & Ingledew, 1997). Results showed that college self-efficacy mediated the relationship between belongingness and exercise motivation for stress management, enjoyment, revitalization, and positive health. These findings highlight how college self-efficacy helps explain the relationship between university belongingness and motivation to exercise, providing insight into prevention research and implications for university personnel to help foster greater health promotion on campus

A Police Officer’s Tacit Knowledge Inventory (POTKI): Establishing Construct Validity and Exploring Applications

Research summarizes the construction of a Police Officer’s Tacit Knowledge Inventory (Inventory), a situational judgment test comprised of knowledge gained on-the-job by experienced police officers, and examines if it can play a role in the development of expertise. Correlation and regression analysis was done to establish the Inventory’s ability to predict post-Academy graduation performance. Results show that Inventory response patterns correlate with Supervisor ratings; and the Inventory responses correctly predict significant differences between novice patrol officers and experienced police officers

Layanan Kebidanan Era Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional: Memperkuat Posisi Bidan Praktik Mandiri

Survei Demografi Kesehatan Indonesia (SDKI) 2007 menunjukkan Angka Kematian Ibu (AKI) di Indonesia mencapai 228 kematian per 100.000 kelahiran hidup dan pada 2012 menunjukkan peningkatan menjadi 359 kematian per 100.000 kelahiran hidup. Angka ini sangat jauh dari target Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) yaitu sebesar 102 kematian per 100.000 kelahiran hidup. Menjelang berakhirnya Millennium Development Goals 2015, Indonesia masih menyisakan rapor merah terhadap penurunan target tujuan kelima MDGs, yaitu Angka Kematian Ibu. Sebagai upaya mencapai target tersebut, sejak 1 Januari 2014 pemerintah mengimplementasikan jaminan pelayanan kesehatan kepada perempuan hamil, melahirkan, dan dalam masa nifas melalui Jaminan Ke sehatan Nasional (JKN) yang seharusnya sudah disiapkan sejak Undang-Undang Nomor 24 Tahun 2011 tentang Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial (BPJS) disahkan. Dalam konteks penurunan angka kematian ibu, bidan merupakan tenaga kesehatan yang menjadi ujung tombak dalam pelayanan kesehatan nasional. Bidan tidak hanya diharapkan mampu menghadapi tantangan dalam implementasi JKN, tetapi juga diberikan tanggungjawab dalam menurunkan angka kematian ibu dan mencapai akses universal terhadap pelayanan kesehatan reproduksi. Melalui penelitian Women Research Institute (WRI) mengenai JKN terkait Pelayanan Kebidanan di Jakarta dan Bandung, didapat berbagai temuan terkait tantangan yang dihadapi oleh bidan dan perempuan peserta JKN dalam mengakses pelayanan kebidanan

Pemenuhan Fasilitas Kesehatan Ibu Melahirkan Era Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional

Menjelang berakhirnya Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2015, Indonesia masih menyisakan rapor merah terhadap penurunan target kelima MDGs, yaitu Angka Kematian Ibu (AKI). Pemerintah Indonesia berupaya menekan AKI melalui program Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN). Hal ini dimulai ketika Undang Undang Nomor 24 Tahun 2011 tentang Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial (BPJS) disahkan, maka secara bertahap semua bentuk perlindungan sosial beralih menjadi Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN). Termasuk Jaminan Persalinan (Jampersal) yang sebelumnya memberikan pelayanan kebidanan menjadi lebur dalam sistem Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional dan menjadi bagian pelayanan kesehatan ibu dan anak. Antusiasme masyarakat untuk menggunakan layanan kesehatan JKN yang ditanggung BPJS Kesehatan tercermin melalui jumlah peserta yang melebihi target. Data BPJS Kesehatan per 30 Juni 2014 memperlihatkan bahwa jumlah peserta BPJS Kesehatan yang terdaftar telah mencapai 124.553.040 jiwa. Dari total jumlah peserta tersebut sudah memenuhi target kepesertaan dalam setahun, yaitu minimal menjaring sekitar 121 juta jiwa. Namun dalam pelaksanaannya terdapat permasalahan yang dirasakan oleh masyarakat peserta JKN, terutama perempuan yang ingin menggunakan layanan kebidanan. Women Research Institute (WRI) mengidentifikasi beberapa tantangan yang dihadapi oleh perempuan peserta Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional yang ingin memanfaatkan layanan kebidanan

Medicago truncatula and Glomus intraradices gene expression in cortical cells harboring arbuscules in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most vascular flowering plants have the capacity to form symbiotic associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The symbiosis develops in the roots where AM fungi colonize the root cortex and form arbuscules within the cortical cells. Arbuscules are enveloped in a novel plant membrane and their establishment requires the coordinated cellular activities of both symbiotic partners. The arbuscule-cortical cell interface is the primary functional interface of the symbiosis and is of central importance in nutrient exchange. To determine the molecular events the underlie arbuscule development and function, it is first necessary to identify genes that may play a role in this process. Toward this goal we used the Affymetrix GeneChip^®Medicago Genome Array to document the <it>M. truncatula </it>transcript profiles associated with AM symbiosis, and then developed laser microdissection (LM) of <it>M. truncatula </it>root cortical cells to enable analyses of gene expression in individual cell types by RT-PCR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This approach led to the identification of novel <it>M. truncatula </it>and <it>G. intraradices </it>genes expressed in colonized cortical cells and in arbuscules. Within the arbuscule, expression of genes associated with the urea cycle, amino acid biosynthesis and cellular autophagy was detected. Analysis of gene expression in the colonized cortical cell revealed up-regulation of a lysine motif (LysM)-receptor like kinase, members of the GRAS transcription factor family and a symbiosis-specific ammonium transporter that is a likely candidate for mediating ammonium transport in the AM symbiosis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Transcript profiling using the Affymetrix GeneChip^®Medicago Genome Array provided new insights into gene expression in <it>M. truncatula </it>roots during AM symbiosis and revealed the existence of several <it>G. intraradices </it>genes on the <it>M. truncatula </it>GeneChip^®. A laser microdissection protocol that incorporates low-melting temperature Steedman's wax, was developed to enable laser microdissection of <it>M. truncatula </it>root cortical cells. LM coupled with RT-PCR provided spatial gene expression information for both symbionts and expanded current information available for gene expression in cortical cells containing arbuscules.</p