No Predictable Relationship Between Presacral Vertebral Number and Hes7 Intron Number Across Mammals

In mammals, the number of vertebrae and the somites they derive from is highly limited. Nevertheless, there are some lineages that have an increased number of presacral vertebrae and thus an elongated trunk. This suggests that somitogenesis, the process of somite formation in early development, is altered in these lineages. According the ‘clock and wavefront’ model of somitogenesis, temporal information of somite boundary formation is generated by a traveling wave of cyclic expression of oscillator genes. Hes7 has been suggested to be a key oscillator gene of this molecular segmentation clock. A previous study showed that reducing the number of introns within the Hes7 gene results in a more rapid tempo of Hes7 oscillation and an increased number of presacral vertebrae. Variation in Hes7 intron number could therefore be a potential evolutionary mechanism for varying vertebral number across mammals. In order to test this hypothesis, Hes7 intron number is here compared to presacral vertebral number across a variety of mammals.No significant relationship between both metrics could be detected as their variation across the mammalian phylogeny is fundamentally different. Integrating our data in the previously published mathematical model of Hes7 oscillation confirms the finding that variation in intron number does not predict variation in presacral vertebrae, rendering a direct causal relationship unlikely. However, our data support the previous suggestion that at least two introns are required for Hes7 pace making function of the segmentation clock.

ALENDRONATE-INDUCED RESPIRATORY DISTRESS

Respiratory distress is a rare adverse effect of alendronate that is typically associated with severe dyspnoea and wheezing and typically requires hospitalization. The patient with a history of dyspnoea and wheezing during the strenuous workload was treated promptly with alendronate for newly diagnosed osteoporosis. After 2 days, respiratory distress complications were restarted and we accurately reported the patient with basophilia, elevated immunoglobulin E (with a blood test), and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (with computed tomography scan image). The prospective patient was adequately understood as alendronate-induced respiratory distress with an unfortunate rechallenge method. Although there is no direct causal relationship from this adverse case report, the possible mechanism has discussed typically based on peer-reviewed literature.

Conditional Changes: Europeanization in the Western Balkans and the Example of Media Freedom

This paper takes a broad view on the context of EU conditionality and, after presenting various challenges, narrows down its focus to provide evidence for the shortcomings concerning media freedom in the Western Balkans. That enlargement is not the linear, one-way process it was once believed to be – where countries gravitating towards an evident liberal democratic consensus through the pull of integration – is evident from cases reaching beyond the Western Balkans. While we will not try to establish any direct causal relationship between the shortcomings of EU conditionality and the democratic backlash in the Western Balkans in the past ten years, we do seek to demonstrate how conditionality is failing in a particular context, by providing an overview of what the essential conditions of successful norm promotion, credibility and, most importantly, consistency are, and illustrate how these are lacking in the case of media freedom conditionality.

Recalibrating the Gaze

If symbolic language, collective learning, and the means by which we use technology are humanity’s “fundamental, non-genetic, adaptive capacity,” then how these are extended and modified in the next few decades will fundamentally define what it means to be human in the twenty-first century. The scale and scope of that determination is, in turn, dependent on how cognitive framings or “gazes,” shaped by shared conceptions of time, are constructed, for these gazes bound conversation, available knowledge, and the contextualizing of decisions. This article argues that the dominant linear orientation with its present-future emphasis has a direct causal relationship with the existential issues contemporary society faces. It postulates their resolution requires going beyond existing constraints in language and learning together with the need to fundamentally rethink many explicit and tacit understandings, including those that inform futures thinking. If this were to occur, then the scope of symbolic language is broadened, thus, allowing a wider range of options to become available. However, it must be recognized at the same time that these same elements must morph to reflect both the inclusion, yet incompleteness, of all knowledge systems into a new ecology of understanding. Such propositions lead to a question: does contemporary society have sufficient awareness of its present situation to put aside (even for a while) what has made it successful thus far, to even consider possibilities that exist beyond the conventions it now accepts as axiomatic?

The effect of discrete recharge by moulins and heterogeneity in flow-path efficiency at glacier beds on subglacial hydrology

Subglacial conduit systems are thought to consist of dendritic networks that exist at lower pressure than distributed systems and have locations that are determined by theoretical hydraulic potential. On glaciers with moulins, however, meltwater is delivered to glacier beds at discrete points, violating assumptions of uniform recharge needed to calculate potential. To understand how moulins affect subglacial conduit hydrology, we used speleological techniques to map 0.4 km of subglacial conduit at the base of a moulin in Hansbreen, Svalbard, and compared our observations with theoretical predictions. The conduit began in an area predicted to lack drainage, crossed equipotential contours at oblique rather than right angles and was locally anastomotic rather than dendritic. We propose moulin locations, which are determined by the locations of supraglacial streams and crevasses, control locations of subglacial recharge. Because conduits have no direct causal relationship with gradients in effective pressure, this recharge can form conduits in areas of glacier beds that may not be predicted by hydraulic potential theory to have conduits. Recharge by moulins allows hydraulic head to increase in conduits faster and to higher values than in adjacent distributed systems, resulting in an increase rather than a decrease in glacier sliding speeds above subglacial conduits.

Snail Mediates E-Cadherin Repression by the Recruitment of the Sin3A/Histone Deacetylase 1 (HDAC1)/HDAC2 Complex

ABSTRACT The transcription factor Snail has been described as a direct repressor of E-cadherin expression during development and carcinogenesis; however, the specific mechanisms involved in this process remain largely unknown. Here we show that mammalian Snail requires histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity to repress E-cadherin promoter and that treatment with trichostatin A (TSA) is sufficient to block the repressor effect of Snail. Moreover, overexpression of Snail is correlated with deacetylation of histones H3 and H4 at the E-cadherin promoter, and TSA treatment in Snail-expressing cells reverses the acetylation status of histones. Additionally, we demonstrate that Snail interacts in vivo with the E-cadherin promoter and recruits HDAC activity. Most importantly, we demonstrate an interaction between Snail, histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and HDAC2, and the corepressor mSin3A. This interaction is dependent on the SNAG domain of Snail, indicating that the Snail transcription factor mediates the repression by recruitment of chromatin-modifying activities, forming a multimolecular complex to repress E-cadherin expression. Our results establish a direct causal relationship between Snail-dependent repression of E-cadherin and the modification of chromatin at its promoter.

The dynamics of social capital in Serbia (II)

This is the second part of the paper that is presented at the conference of EBEN 29-31.2003. In this part of paper I am dealing with the constellation in Serbia after 2000. I take certain dimensions of social capital (civil mindedness, readiness to react to the corruption in business practice etc) and analyze their positions in the business-context in Serbia. This experience confirms that it is not enough to take into account the formal productive sector in treating the dynamics of social capital. The paper calls for the careful weighing of the impact of social capital on the transformation of meaning of business. It is necessary to avoid the trap that there is direct causal relationship between rich social capita! and market-based coordination. In Serbia we can report on the prevailing of the informal bonding social capital over the bridging formal social capital. There are negative impacts of social capital manifested in powerful social groups, which are not accountable to citizens at large. The over embedded ness in the previous form of informal social capital may appear as hindrance for the developing of the formal social capital.

Follow-up and Outcome of Patients Who Decline or Are Denied Transport by EMS

Introduction:In recent years, several authors have begun to address the medical and legal risks associated with patients refusing or being refused transport by emergency medical services (EMS) systems. However, data regarding patient outcomes still are lacking.Purpose:The purpose of this study was to determine: 1) why patients are not transported; and 2) the subsequent outcome of these patients.Setting:A busy, suburban, volunteer EMS service with indirect medical control, but no guidelines for non-transport of patients.Methods:A retrospective review of the records of 158 consecutive EMS incidents in which an ambulance was called, but the patient was not transported. Follow-up was attempted by telephone contact with the patient and/or family.Results:Telephone follow-up was established successfully for 93 cases (59%). Of the 93 patients, 60 (64.5%) subsequently sought care from a physician, 15 of whom (25%) later were admitted. The mean hospital stay was 6.6±7.9 days (median=3 days) with a range of 1–30 days. Two were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and two others died. Of the 93 study cases, 43 (46%) involved situations in which the patient refused transport. Paramedics declined transport or mutually agreed not to transport in 50 cases (54%). This latter category accounted for 11 (73%) of the 15 hospitalizations. Ten percent of patients (or their families) stated that they were dissatisfied with the non-transport decisions.Conclusions:Serious, even fatal outcomes were identified in the follow-up of patients not transported by EMS. Although a direct causal relationship was not established within the context of this study, situations in which EMS personnel either denied transport (or mutually agreed with the patient not to transport by ambulance) were twice as likely to result in hospitalization than were those cases in which the patients declined transportation against the advice of the EMS personnel.

CHROMOSOME ABERRATIONS IN TRYPAN BLUE INDUCED TERATOGENESIS IN MICE

Pregnant Swiss mice were injected with trypan blue on the 9th day of gestation. Analyses of anaphase-telophases revealed a high incidence of mitotic irregularities such as chromosome bridges, fragments or both, in the embryos. As a result of chromosomal rearrangements followed by mitotic aberrations, karyotypically abnormal cells were formed in the embryos and they had a relatively higher incidence of such abnormal cells than the untreated controls. This study does not suggest any direct causal relationship between chromosomal lesions induced and the teratogenic effects of trypan blue. However, it is possible that these aberrations are factors affecting the viability and proliferative capacities of the embryonic cells.

The Effect of reversing the Internal Water-Current on the Spicule Orientation in Leucosolenia variabilis and L. complicata

1. Specimens grown in quiet water in an aquarium tank produce the same pattern of spicules as do those occurring naturally. Woodland's hypothesis, that the orientation arises from turbulence in the environment, is thereby disproved. 2. Reversing the internal water-current in excised oscular tubes of Leucosolenia has shown that no direct causal relationship exists between the direction of the current and the orientation of the spicules. 3. The spicule arrangement is modifiable by experiment; the orientation is not dependent on the existence of static structural features in the wall of the sponge. 4. Removal of the oscular rim has little effect on the orientation of the spicules subsequently developing in the tube behind. 5. Diverticula develop from bulges, formed largely by a reshaping process. The arrangement of the associated small spicules is essentially the same as for L. lieberkühnii. 6. A mechanical hypothesis explaining the orientation of the spicules is briefly described. The formative cell sextet is believed to be oriented by a movement of the mesogloea over the epithelium to which the sextet is contiguous.