Male-to-Female Transsexual Individuals\u27 Experience of Clinical Relationships: A Phenomological Study

This phenomenological study was designed to gain insight into male-to-female transsexual clients\u27 experience of clinical relationships. Transsexual clients who enter into a clinical relationship have an experience that is unique due to their transsexual status in society. Their circumstances warrant attention in research due to the following factors: 1) the nature of being transsexual 2) the gate-keeping requirements necessary for transition 3) their experience in society as a vulnerable and oppressed population, and, 4) the importance of understanding the transsexual individuals\u27 experience of clinical relationships from the perspective of transsexual clients themselves. Twelve transsexual women were interviewed using semi-structured format utilizing open-ended questions regarding their experiences. Participants ranged in age from 30 to 64, and their year\u27s post-SRS/GRS ranged from 20 months to 33 years. The data was analyzed using Moustakas\u27 modified version of the Van Kaam method of analysis. The findings were grouped into four core themes: What the client brings to the clinical relationship, what the therapist brings to the clinical relationship, the experience of the clinical relationship, and the outcome of the clinical relationship. The essence of the experience is stated as fear driven self-preservation. It was found that participants feared rejection and expressed self-preservation initially by suppressing their transgender identity. After experiencing a crisis and/or catalyst, the participants changed their self-preservation focus to gender role transition, at any cost. The combination of this self-preservation for transition, and fear of clinicians\u27 power in the gate-keeping process provided challenges for therapeutic alliance and trust in the clinical relationship. Participants expressed a change of attitude towards therapy, therapists, and the standards of care post-transition. Implications for social work research, theory, practice, education and policy are discussed

Coordination of Tissue Cell Polarity by Auxin Transport and Signaling

Plants coordinate the polarity of hundreds of cells during vein formation, but how they do so is unclear. The prevailing hypothesis proposes that GNOM, a regulator of membrane trafficking, positions PIN-FORMED auxin transporters to the correct side of the plasma membrane; the resulting cell-to-cell, polar transport of auxin would coordinate tissue cell polarity and induce vein formation. Contrary to predictions of the hypothesis, we find that vein formation occurs in the absence of PIN-FORMED or any other intercellular auxin-transporter; that the residual auxin-transport-independent vein-patterning activity relies on auxin signaling; and that a GNOM-dependent signal acts upstream of both auxin transport and signaling to coordinate tissue cell polarity and induce vein formation. Our results reveal synergism between auxin transport and signaling, and their unsuspected control by GNOM in the coordination of tissue cell polarity during vein patterning, one of the most informative expressions of tissue cell polarization in plants

A dynamic pattern of local auxin sources is required for root regeneration

Following removal of its stem cell niche, the root meristem can regenerate by recruitment of remnant cells from the stump. Regeneration is initiated by rapid accumulation of auxin near the injury site but the source of this auxin is unknown. Here, we show that auxin accumulation arises from the activity of multiple auxin biosynthetic sources that are newly specified near the cut site and that their continuous activity is required for the regeneration process. Auxin synthesis is highly localized and PIN-mediate transport is dispensable for auxin accumulation and tip regeneration. Roots lacking the activity of the regeneration competence factor ERF115, or that are dissected at a zone of low-regeneration potential, fail to activate local auxin sources. Remarkably, restoring auxin supply is sufficient to confer regeneration capacity to these recalcitrant tissues. We suggest that regeneration competence relies on the ability to specify new local auxin sources in a precise spatio-temporal pattern

Local auxin biosynthesis is required for root regeneration after wounding

The root meristem can regenerate following removal of its stem-cell niche by recruitment of remnant cells from the stump. Regeneration is initiated by rapid accumulation of auxin near the injury site but the source of this auxin is unknown. Here, we show that auxin accumulation arises from the activity of multiple auxin biosynthetic sources that are newly specified near the cut site and that their continuous activity is required for the regeneration process. Auxin synthesis is highly localized while PIN-mediated transport is dispensable for auxin accumulation and tip regeneration. Roots lacking the activity of the regeneration competence factor ERF115, or that are dissected at a zone of low regeneration potential, fail to activate local auxin sources. Remarkably, restoring auxin supply is sufficient to confer regeneration capacity to these recalcitrant tissues. We suggest that regeneration competence relies on the ability to specify new local auxin sources in a precise temporal pattern

Vein patterning by tissue-specific auxin transport

Unlike in animals, in plants, vein patterning does not rely on direct cell-cell interaction and cell migration; instead, it depends on the transport of the plant hormone auxin, which in turn depends on the activity of the PIN-FORMED1 (PIN1) auxin transporter. The current hypotheses of vein patterning by auxin transport propose that, in the epidermis of the developing leaf, PIN1-mediated auxin transport converges to peaks of auxin level. From those convergence points of epidermal PIN1 polarity, auxin would be transported in the inner tissues where it would give rise to major veins. Here, we have tested predictions of this hypothesis and have found them unsupported: epidermal PIN1 expression is neither required nor sufficient for auxin transport-dependent vein patterning, whereas inner-tissue PIN1 expression turns out to be both required and sufficient for auxin transport-dependent vein patterning. Our results refute all vein patterning hypotheses based on auxin transport from the epidermis and suggest alternatives for future tests

Characterization of temperature‐sensitive mutants reveals a role for receptor‐like kinase SCRAMBLED/STRUBBELIG in coordinating cell proliferation and differentiation during Arabidopsis leaf development

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94480/1/tpj5109.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94480/2/tpj5109_sm_FigS1-S8-TableS1.pd

ION MOBILITY STUDIES ON SODIUM-BIS (2- ETHYLHEXIL)SULFOSUCCINATE (AOTNa) AGGREGATES

The supramolecular charged aggregates formed during ESI ionization of AOTNa solutions under critical micelle concentration have been studied thorough ion mobility experiments. In particular, positively charged clusters with several charge states, ranging from +1 to +4, have been investigated. It has been found that, despite to previous investigations (Siuzdak et al. 1995, Nohara et al. 1998), specific ionic aggregates with a peculiar cross section are observed. Indeed a single drift time is observed for each charged aggregate. Using both calculated cross section and experimental calibration curves the experimental cross section of the observed cation has been determined. It is worth noting that simulated reversed micelle structure (through mobcal EHSS algorithm) cross section and experimental ones air in fair agreement. This agreement is a further support that reverse micelle is the most likely structure that characterize such aggregates

Transcriptional reprogramming during floral fate acquisition

Coordinating growth and patterning is essential for eukaryote morphogenesis. In plants, auxin is a key regulator of morphogenesis implicated throughout development. Despite this central role, our understanding of how auxin coordinates cell fate and growth changes is still limited. Here, we addressed this question using a combination of genomic screens to delve into the transcriptional network induced by auxin at the earliest stage of flower development, prior to morphological changes. We identify a shoot-specific network suggesting that auxin initiates growth through an antagonistic regulation of growth-promoting and growth-repressive hormones, quasi-synchronously to floral fate specification. We further identify two DNA-binding One Zinc Finger (DOF) transcription factors acting in an auxin-dependent network that could interface growth and cell fate from the early stages of flower development onward.Peer reviewe

NEW INSIGHTS ON SUPRAMOLECULAR AGGREGATES OF SODIUM DOCUSATE (AOTNa) BY ION MOBILITY MASS SPECTROMETRY

Backgorund: The ability of some surfactants to form charged aggregates in gas phase has been proven experimentally by electrospray ionization (ESI) spectrometry [1- 5]. However, in the early investigations, interesting questions concerning the structural organization of these aggregates in gas phase and if they reflect their typical self-assembling in the starting liquid solutions were not addressed. Subsequently, independently of their aggregation motive in liquid phase and of the charge state in the gas phase, some hints suggesting that surfactant molecules are organized in gas phase as reverse micelle-like aggregates have been reported Objective: The supramolecular charged aggregates formed by ESI of AOTNa solutions have been studied through ion mobility experiments in order to gain more informations as concer their size, and possibly, shape. Method: AOTNa (99%) was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich-Fluka (Milan, Italy). For ion mobility experiments, a 2.4 mg/ml AOTNa solution in a 1:1 water/acetonitrile mixture was prepared and directly infused at a flow rate 10 l/ min in positive mode electrospray. The ESI mass spectra are recorded under following operative conditions: source temperature 120 °C, capillary voltage 3 kV, cone voltage 45 V, extraction cone 4.0 V, Desolvation Temperature 350 °C, Cone Gas Flow 10.0 L/Hr, Desolvation Gas Flow 800.0 L/Hr. The ion mobility cell contained nitrogen at a flow rate of 90 ml/min. The travelling wave height and velocity were 6 V and 311 m/s respectively. Under the same experimental conditions, solutions of polyalanine (Sigma, nominal 1000-5000 mol wt range; 5.6*10-5 to 2.8*10-4 M in a 49:49:2 water/acetonitrile/acetic acid mixture) were also infused. The samples were analyzed by a Synapt G2 HDMS (Waters UK Ltd, Manchester, UK) and data were acquired by MassLynxTM version 4.1 in high-definition mass spectrometry (HDMS) mode and handled by DriftScope. Results and conclusion: Positively charged clusters with several charge states, ranging from +1 to +4, have been investigated. Despite of previous investigations (Siuzdak et al. 1995, Nohara et al. 1998), suggesting random aggregation of charged surfactant aggregates, specific ionic clusters with peculiar cross sections are observed. Indeed the occurrence at each aggregation number and extra charge of an unique value of cross section points toward aggregates whose conformations do not show discernible shape change in the experiment time scale. It is worth noting that calculated cross-sections (mobcal EHSS algorithm, considering reversed micelle structures) and experimental ones (through ion mobility mass spectrometry using Polyalanine at various charge states as reference) are in fair agreement. This supports once again that reverse micelle is the most likely structure that characterize such aggregates. Further this allows evaluating of the charge state effects on the shape of AOTNa clusters. In particular, both theoretical calculations and experimental CCS suggest an increase of the size of the whole aggregate on increasing the charge states. Finally, the regular cross section dependence on the aggregation number of AOTNa clusters at the same charge state makes this surfactant an ideal candidate as calibration standard for CCS measurements

A dynamic pattern of local auxin sources is required for root regeneration

Following removal of its stem cell niche, the root meristem can regenerate by recruitment of remnant cells from the stump. Regeneration is initiated by rapid accumulation of auxin near the injury site but the source of this auxin is unknown. Here, we show that auxin accumulation arises from the activity of multiple auxin biosynthetic sources that are newly specified near the cut site and that their continuous activity is required for the regeneration process. Auxin synthesis is highly localized and PIN-mediate transport is dispensable for auxin accumulation and tip regeneration. Roots lacking the activity of the regeneration competence factor ERF115, or that are dissected at a zone of low-regeneration potential, fail to activate local auxin sources. Remarkably, restoring auxin supply is sufficient to confer regeneration capacity to these recalcitrant tissues. We suggest that regeneration competence relies on the ability to specify new local auxin sources in a precise spatio-temporal pattern