Paraneoplastic precocious puberty and excessively rapid somatic growth associated with pediatric malignant hepatic tumor: 1 report of 2 cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ok Hwa; Bahk, Yong Whee [Cathalic University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1990-04-15

Sexual precocity in a 28-months-old boy and markedly accelerated skeletal growth with large body in a 5 years and 5 months-old-girl are reported. The former resulted from human chorionic gonadotropin-producing hepatoblastoma and the latter from cerebral gigantism associated with hepatoma. These two different disorders are discussed on the common basis of rare association of malignant hepatic tumors with precocious sexual and / or somatic growth. The clinical manifestations, chemical abnormalities, and the radiologic findings are presented with a brief review of the literature.

Paraneoplastic precocious puberty and excessively rapid somatic growth associated with pediatric malignant hepatic tumor: 1 report of 2 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ok Hwa; Bahk, Yong Whee

1990-01-01

Sexual precocity in a 28-months-old boy and markedly accelerated skeletal growth with large body in a 5 years and 5 months-old-girl are reported. The former resulted from human chorionic gonadotropin-producing hepatoblastoma and the latter from cerebral gigantism associated with hepatoma. These two different disorders are discussed on the common basis of rare association of malignant hepatic tumors with precocious sexual and / or somatic growth. The clinical manifestations, chemical abnormalities, and the radiologic findings are presented with a brief review of the literature

Somatic PI3K activity regulates transition to the spermatocyte stages ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Samir Gupta

2017-04-22

Apr 22, 2017 ... like growth factor (IGF) families, control the tissue homeosta- sis (Biteau et al. 2011 ... A breach in the somatic encapsulation due to the loss of somatic cyst cells .... populations at the apical region of testes of 4-days-old adults.

Influence of plant growth regulators on somatic embryos induction ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

TANOH

2013-04-17

Theobroma cacao L.) using Thidiazuron. In vitro Cell Dev. Biol. 34:293-299. Michaux-Ferrière N, Carron MP (1989). Histology of early somatic embryogenesis in Hevea brasiliensis. The importance of timing of subculturing. Plant Cell Tiss ...

Studying the mechanisms of the Somatic Marker Hypothesis in Spiking Neural Networks (SNN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel GONZÁLEZ

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 21 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} In this paper, a mechanism of emotional bias in decision making is studied using Spiking Neural Networks to simulate the associative and recurrent networks involved. The results obtained are along the lines of those proposed by A. Damasio as part of the Somatic Marker Hypothesis, in particular, that, in absence of emotional input, the decision making is driven by the rational input alone. Appropriate representations for the Objective and Emotional Values are also suggested, provided a spike representation (code of the information.

Studying the mechanisms of the Somatic Marker Hypothesis in Spiking Neural Networks (SNN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro JIMÉNEZ-RODRÍGUEZ

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 21 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} In this paper, a mechanism of emotional bias in decision making is studied using Spiking Neural Networks to simulate the associative and recurrent networks involved. The results obtained are along the lines of those proposed by A. Damasio as part of the Somatic Marker Hypothesis, in particular, that, in absence of emotional input, the decision making is driven by the rational input alone. Appropriate representations for the Objective and Emotional Values are also suggested, provided a spike representation (code of the information.

Growth Limits in Large Scale Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Thomas Phillip

limitations. The rising complexity of network management with the convergence of communications platforms is shown as problematic for both automatic management feasibility and for manpower resource management. In the fourth step the scope is extended to include the present society with the DDN project as its......The Subject of large scale networks is approached from the perspective of the network planner. An analysis of the long term planning problems is presented with the main focus on the changing requirements for large scale networks and the potential problems in meeting these requirements. The problems...... the fundamental technological resources in network technologies are analysed for scalability. Here several technological limits to continued growth are presented. The third step involves a survey of major problems in managing large scale networks given the growth of user requirements and the technological...

Somatic embryogenesis in ferns: a new experimental system.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikuła, Anna; Pożoga, Mariusz; Tomiczak, Karolina; Rybczyński, Jan J

2015-05-01

Somatic embryogenesis has never been reported in ferns. The study showed that it is much easier to evoke the acquisition and expression of embryogenic competence in ferns than in spermatophytes. We discovered that the tree fern Cyathea delgadii offers an effective model for the reproducible and rapid formation of somatic embryos on hormone-free medium. Our study provides cyto-morphological evidence for the single cell origin and development of somatic embryos. Somatic embryogenesis (SE) in both primary and secondary explants was induced on half-strength micro- and macro-nutrients Murashige and Skoog medium without the application of exogenous plant growth regulators, in darkness. The early stage of SE was characterized by sequential perpendicular cell divisions of an individual epidermal cell of etiolated stipe explant. These resulted in the formation of a linear pro-embryo. Later their development resembled that of the zygotic embryo. We defined three morphogenetic stages of fern somatic embryo development: linear, early and late embryonic leaf stage. The transition from somatic embryo to juvenile sporophyte was quick and proceeded without interruption caused by dormancy. Following 9 weeks of culture the efficiency of somatic embryogenesis reached 12-13 embryos per responding explant. Spontaneous formation of somatic embryos and callus production, which improved the effectiveness of the process sevenfold in 10-month-long culture, occurred without subculturing. The tendency for C. delgadii to propagate by SE in vitro makes this species an excellent model for studies relating to asexual embryogenesis and the endogenous hormonal regulation of that process and opens new avenues of experimentation.

Competitive cluster growth in complex networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, André A; Paula, Demétrius R; Costa Filho, Raimundo N; Andrade, José S

2006-06-01

In this work we propose an idealized model for competitive cluster growth in complex networks. Each cluster can be thought of as a fraction of a community that shares some common opinion. Our results show that the cluster size distribution depends on the particular choice for the topology of the network of contacts among the agents. As an application, we show that the cluster size distributions obtained when the growth process is performed on hierarchical networks, e.g., the Apollonian network, have a scaling form similar to what has been observed for the distribution of a number of votes in an electoral process. We suggest that this similarity may be due to the fact that social networks involved in the electoral process may also possess an underlining hierarchical structure.

Somatic hybridization of sexually incompatible petunias: Petunia parodii, Petunia parviflora.

Science.gov (United States)

Power, J B; Berry, S F; Chapman, J V; Cocking, E C

1980-01-01

Somatic hybrid plants were regenerated following the fusion of leaf mesophyll protoplasts of P. parodii with those isolated from a nuclear-albino mutant of P. parviflora. Attempts at sexual hybridization of these two species repeatedly failed thus confirming their previously established cross-incompatibility. Selection of somatic hybrid plants was possible since protoplasts of P. parodii would not develop beyond the cell colony stage, whilst those of the somatic hybrid and albino P. parviflora produced calluses. Green somatic hybrid calluses were visible against a background of albino cells/calluses, and upon transfer to regeneration media gave rise to shoots. Shoots and the resultant flowering plants were confirmed as somatic hybrids based on their growth habit, floral pigmentation and morphology, leaf hair structure, chromosome number and Fraction 1 protein profiles. The relevance of such hybrid material for the development of new, and extensively modified cultivars, is discussed.

Cortisol and somatization.

Science.gov (United States)

Rief, W; Auer, C

2000-05-01

Somatization symptoms are frequently associated with depression, anxiety, and feelings of distress. These features interact with the activity of the HPA-axis. Therefore we investigated relationships between somatization symptoms and cortisol. Seventy-seven participants were classified into three groups: somatization syndrome (at least eight physical symptoms from the DSM-IV somatization disorder list), somatization syndrome combined with major depression, and healthy controls. The following data were collected: salivary cortisol at three time points (morning, afternoon, evening), nighttime urinary cortisol, serum cortisol after the dexamethasone suppression test (DST), and psychological variables such as depression, anxiety, somatization, and hypochondriasis. Salivary cortisol showed typical diurnal variations. However, the groups did not differ on any of the cortisol variables. A possible explanation may be counteracting effects of somatization and depression. Exploratory correlational analyses revealed that associations between cortisol and psychopathological variables were time-dependent. DST results correlated with psychological aspects of somatization, but not with the number of somatoform symptoms per se.

Structure and growth of weighted networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riccaboni, Massimo [Department of Computer and Management Sciences, University of Trento, Trento (Italy); Schiavo, Stefano [Department of Economics, University of Trento, Trento (Italy)], E-mail: massimo.riccaboni@unitn.it, E-mail: stefano.schiavo@unitn.it

2010-02-15

We develop a simple theoretical framework for the evolution of weighted networks that is consistent with a number of stylized features of real-world data. In our framework, the Barabasi-Albert model of network evolution is extended by assuming that link weights evolve according to a geometric Brownian motion. Our model is verified by means of simulations and real-world trade data. We show that the model correctly predicts the intensity and growth distribution of links, the size-variance relationship of the growth of link weights, the relationship between the degree and strength of nodes, and the scale-free structure of the network.

Growth of cortical neuronal network in vitro: Modeling and analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, P.-Y.; Jia, L. C.; Chan, C. K.

2006-01-01

We present a detailed analysis and theoretical growth models to account for recent experimental data on the growth of cortical neuronal networks in vitro [Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 088101 (2004)]. The experimentally observed synchronized firing frequency of a well-connected neuronal network is shown to be proportional to the mean network connectivity. The growth of the network is consistent with the model of an early enhanced growth of connection, but followed by a retarded growth once the synchronized cluster is formed. Microscopic models with dominant excluded volume interactions are consistent with the observed exponential decay of the mean connection probability as a function of the mean network connectivity. The biological implications of the growth model are also discussed

Governance of innovation and growth in SME Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brink, Tove

2016-01-01

The aim of this article is to reveal what organizing of innovation and growth can be enabled in SME networks. This is especially interesting for the governance of loosely coupled networks. The research is conducted in the Danish food industry with three food-producing firm networks. The posed...... hypotheses are tested in a structural equation modelling (SEM) approach with the available data of 60 SMEs. The findings show that the governance of preferred behaviours of SMEs has a considerable significant positive impact on product and systematic innovation, which have a significant impact on growth....... Governance of network connections is also found to have a significant positive impact on growth. The findings contribute to an understanding of how both governance of preferred SME behaviour and network connections enable innovation. This study provides SMEs, SME network organizations and policy bodies...

Somatic Expression of Psychological Problems (Somatization: Examination with Structural Equation Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tugba Seda Çolak

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of the research is to define which psychological symptoms (somatization, depression, obsessive ‐ compulsive, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism cause somatic reactions at most. Total effect of these psychological symptoms on somatic symptoms had been investigated. Study was carried out with structural equation model to research the relation between the psychological symptoms and somatization. The main material of the research is formed by the data obtained from 492 people. SCL‐90‐R scale was used in order to obtain the data. As a result of the structural equation analysis, it has been found that 1Psychoticism, phobic anxiety, and paranoid ideation do not predict somatic symptoms.2There is a negative relation between interpersonal sensitivity level mand somatic reactions.3Anxiety symptoms had been found as causative to occur the highest level of somatic reactions.

Somatic Embryogenesis in Juniperus Procera using Juniperus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim for this particular research was initially an adaptation of optimum half strength lithium chloride-sodium propionate (LP) medium protocol for growth and proliferation of embryogenic ... Additional study on the effect of seed extraction to the growing embryogenic culture showed no effect on mature somatic embryos.

Analysis of Network Topologies Underlying Ethylene Growth Response Kinetics

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Aaron M. Prescott

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Most models for ethylene signaling involve a linear pathway. However, measurements of seedling growth kinetics when ethylene is applied and removed have resulted in more complex network models that include coherent feedforward, negative feedback, and positive feedback motifs. However, the dynamical responses of the proposed networks have not been explored in a quantitative manner. Here, we explore (i whether any of the proposed models are capable of producing growth-response behaviors consistent with experimental observations and (ii what mechanistic roles various parts of the network topologies play in ethylene signaling. To address this, we used computational methods to explore two general network topologies: The first contains a coherent feedforward loop that inhibits growth and a negative feedback from growth onto itself (CFF/NFB. In the second, ethylene promotes the cleavage of EIN2, with the product of the cleavage inhibiting growth and promoting the production of EIN2 through a positive feedback loop (PFB. Since few network parameters for ethylene signaling are known in detail, we used an evolutionary algorithm to explore sets of parameters that produce behaviors similar to experimental growth response kinetics of both wildtype and mutant seedlings. We generated a library of parameter sets by independently running the evolutionary algorithm many times. Both network topologies produce behavior consistent with experimental observations and analysis of the parameter sets allows us to identify important network interactions and parameter constraints. We additionally screened these parameter sets for growth recovery in the presence of sub-saturating ethylene doses, which is an experimentally-observed property that emerges in some of the evolved parameter sets. Finally, we probed simplified networks maintaining key features of the CFF/NFB and PFB topologies. From this, we verified observations drawn from the larger networks about mechanisms

Analysis of Network Topologies Underlying Ethylene Growth Response Kinetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Prescott, Aaron M; McCollough, Forest W; Eldreth, Bryan L; Binder, Brad M; Abel, Steven M

2016-01-01

Most models for ethylene signaling involve a linear pathway. However, measurements of seedling growth kinetics when ethylene is applied and removed have resulted in more complex network models that include coherent feedforward, negative feedback, and positive feedback motifs. The dynamical responses of the proposed networks have not been explored in a quantitative manner. Here, we explore (i) whether any of the proposed models are capable of producing growth-response behaviors consistent with experimental observations and (ii) what mechanistic roles various parts of the network topologies play in ethylene signaling. To address this, we used computational methods to explore two general network topologies: The first contains a coherent feedforward loop that inhibits growth and a negative feedback from growth onto itself (CFF/NFB). In the second, ethylene promotes the cleavage of EIN2, with the product of the cleavage inhibiting growth and promoting the production of EIN2 through a positive feedback loop (PFB). Since few network parameters for ethylene signaling are known in detail, we used an evolutionary algorithm to explore sets of parameters that produce behaviors similar to experimental growth response kinetics of both wildtype and mutant seedlings. We generated a library of parameter sets by independently running the evolutionary algorithm many times. Both network topologies produce behavior consistent with experimental observations, and analysis of the parameter sets allows us to identify important network interactions and parameter constraints. We additionally screened these parameter sets for growth recovery in the presence of sub-saturating ethylene doses, which is an experimentally-observed property that emerges in some of the evolved parameter sets. Finally, we probed simplified networks maintaining key features of the CFF/NFB and PFB topologies. From this, we verified observations drawn from the larger networks about mechanisms underlying ethylene

Diet-Induced Growth Is Regulated via Acquired Leptin Resistance and Engages a Pomc-Somatostatin-Growth Hormone Circuit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heiko Löhr

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Summary: Anorexigenic pro-opiomelanocortin (Pomc/alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (αMSH neurons of the hypothalamic melanocortin system function as key regulators of energy homeostasis, also controlling somatic growth across different species. However, the mechanisms of melanocortin-dependent growth control still remain ill-defined. Here, we reveal a thus-far-unrecognized structural and functional connection between Pomc neurons and the somatotropic hypothalamo-pituitary axis. Excessive feeding of larval zebrafish causes leptin resistance and reduced levels of the hypothalamic satiety mediator pomca. In turn, this leads to reduced activation of hypophysiotropic somatostatin (Sst-neurons that express the melanocortin receptor Mc4r, elevated growth hormone (GH expression in the pituitary, and enhanced somatic growth. Mc4r expression and αMSH responsiveness are conserved in Sst-expressing hypothalamic neurons of mice. Thus, acquired leptin resistance and attenuation of pomca transcription in response to excessive caloric intake may represent an ancient mechanism to promote somatic growth when food resources are plentiful. : The melanocortin system controls energy homeostasis and somatic growth, but the underlying mechanisms are elusive. Löhr et al. identify a functional neural circuit in which Pomc neurons stimulate hypothalamic somatostatin neurons, thereby inhibiting hypophyseal growth hormone production. Excessive feeding and acquired leptin resistance attenuate this pathway, allowing faster somatic growth when food resources are rich. Keywords: Pomc neuron, somatostatin neuron, somatic growth, growth hormone, melanocortin system, high-fat diet, obesity, leptin resistance, zebrafish, mouse

Complex Network Theory Applied to the Growth of Kuala Lumpur's Public Urban Rail Transit Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Rui; Ujang, Norsidah; Hamid, Hussain Bin; Wu, Jianjun

2015-01-01

Recently, the number of studies involving complex network applications in transportation has increased steadily as scholars from various fields analyze traffic networks. Nonetheless, research on rail network growth is relatively rare. This research examines the evolution of the Public Urban Rail Transit Networks of Kuala Lumpur (PURTNoKL) based on complex network theory and covers both the topological structure of the rail system and future trends in network growth. In addition, network performance when facing different attack strategies is also assessed. Three topological network characteristics are considered: connections, clustering and centrality. In PURTNoKL, we found that the total number of nodes and edges exhibit a linear relationship and that the average degree stays within the interval [2.0488, 2.6774] with heavy-tailed distributions. The evolutionary process shows that the cumulative probability distribution (CPD) of degree and the average shortest path length show good fit with exponential distribution and normal distribution, respectively. Moreover, PURTNoKL exhibits clear cluster characteristics; most of the nodes have a 2-core value, and the CPDs of the centrality's closeness and betweenness follow a normal distribution function and an exponential distribution, respectively. Finally, we discuss four different types of network growth styles and the line extension process, which reveal that the rail network's growth is likely based on the nodes with the biggest lengths of the shortest path and that network protection should emphasize those nodes with the largest degrees and the highest betweenness values. This research may enhance the networkability of the rail system and better shape the future growth of public rail networks.

Innovation and growth in SME Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brink, Tove

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to reveal what organising can enable innovation and growth within entrepreneurial SME networks. The research is conducted in the Danish food industry with the participation of three food producing firm networks. The posed hypothesis are tested in a structural equation...... modeling (SEM) approach with data available from 55 SMEs. The findings show a significant positive impact from internal complementary preferences of behavior on innovation types. Furthermore, a significant positive impact is revealed from product-, process and systematic innovation types on growth...

Complex Network Theory Applied to the Growth of Kuala Lumpur's Public Urban Rail Transit Network.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Ding

Full Text Available Recently, the number of studies involving complex network applications in transportation has increased steadily as scholars from various fields analyze traffic networks. Nonetheless, research on rail network growth is relatively rare. This research examines the evolution of the Public Urban Rail Transit Networks of Kuala Lumpur (PURTNoKL based on complex network theory and covers both the topological structure of the rail system and future trends in network growth. In addition, network performance when facing different attack strategies is also assessed. Three topological network characteristics are considered: connections, clustering and centrality. In PURTNoKL, we found that the total number of nodes and edges exhibit a linear relationship and that the average degree stays within the interval [2.0488, 2.6774] with heavy-tailed distributions. The evolutionary process shows that the cumulative probability distribution (CPD of degree and the average shortest path length show good fit with exponential distribution and normal distribution, respectively. Moreover, PURTNoKL exhibits clear cluster characteristics; most of the nodes have a 2-core value, and the CPDs of the centrality's closeness and betweenness follow a normal distribution function and an exponential distribution, respectively. Finally, we discuss four different types of network growth styles and the line extension process, which reveal that the rail network's growth is likely based on the nodes with the biggest lengths of the shortest path and that network protection should emphasize those nodes with the largest degrees and the highest betweenness values. This research may enhance the networkability of the rail system and better shape the future growth of public rail networks.

Weighted Scaling in Non-growth Random Networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Guang; Yang Xuhua; Xu Xinli

2012-01-01

We propose a weighted model to explain the self-organizing formation of scale-free phenomenon in non-growth random networks. In this model, we use multiple-edges to represent the connections between vertices and define the weight of a multiple-edge as the total weights of all single-edges within it and the strength of a vertex as the sum of weights for those multiple-edges attached to it. The network evolves according to a vertex strength preferential selection mechanism. During the evolution process, the network always holds its total number of vertices and its total number of single-edges constantly. We show analytically and numerically that a network will form steady scale-free distributions with our model. The results show that a weighted non-growth random network can evolve into scale-free state. It is interesting that the network also obtains the character of an exponential edge weight distribution. Namely, coexistence of scale-free distribution and exponential distribution emerges.

Neural electrical activity and neural network growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Gafarov, F M

2018-05-01

The development of central and peripheral neural system depends in part on the emergence of the correct functional connectivity in its input and output pathways. Now it is generally accepted that molecular factors guide neurons to establish a primary scaffold that undergoes activity-dependent refinement for building a fully functional circuit. However, a number of experimental results obtained recently shows that the neuronal electrical activity plays an important role in the establishing of initial interneuronal connections. Nevertheless, these processes are rather difficult to study experimentally, due to the absence of theoretical description and quantitative parameters for estimation of the neuronal activity influence on growth in neural networks. In this work we propose a general framework for a theoretical description of the activity-dependent neural network growth. The theoretical description incorporates a closed-loop growth model in which the neural activity can affect neurite outgrowth, which in turn can affect neural activity. We carried out the detailed quantitative analysis of spatiotemporal activity patterns and studied the relationship between individual cells and the network as a whole to explore the relationship between developing connectivity and activity patterns. The model, developed in this work will allow us to develop new experimental techniques for studying and quantifying the influence of the neuronal activity on growth processes in neural networks and may lead to a novel techniques for constructing large-scale neural networks by self-organization. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of high-fat diet on somatic growth, metabolic parameters and function of peritoneal macrophages of young rats submitted to a maternal low-protein diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Alheiros-Lira, Maria Cláudia; Jurema-Santos, Gabriela Carvalho; da-Silva, Helyson Tomaz; da-Silva, Amanda Cabral; Moreno Senna, Sueli; Ferreira E Silva, Wylla Tatiana; Ferraz, José Candido; Leandro, Carol Góis

2017-03-01

This study evaluated the effects of a post-weaning high-fat (HF) diet on somatic growth, food consumption, metabolic parameters, phagocytic rate and nitric oxide (NO) production of peritoneal macrophages in young rats submitted to a maternal low-protein (LP) diet. Male Wistar rats (aged 60 d) were divided in two groups (n 22/each) according to their maternal diet during gestation and lactation: control (C, dams fed 17 % casein) and LP (dams fed 8 % casein). At weaning, half of the groups were fed HF diet and two more groups were formed (HF and low protein-high fat (LP-HF)). Somatic growth, food and energy intake, fat depots, serum glucose, cholesterol and leptin concentrations were evaluated. Phagocytic rate and NO production were analysed in peritoneal macrophages under stimulation of zymosan and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)+interferon γ (IFN-γ), respectively. The maternal LP diet altered the somatic parameters of growth and development of pups. LP and LP-HF pups showed a higher body weight gain and food intake than C pups. HF and LP-HF pups showed increased retroperitoneal and epididymal fat depots, serum level of TAG and total cholesterol compared with C and LP pups. After LPS+IFN-γ stimulation, LP and LP-HF pups showed reduced NO production when compared with their pairs. Increased phagocytic activity and NO production were seen in LP but not LP-HF peritoneal macrophages. However, peritoneal macrophages of LP pups were hyporesponsive to LPS+IFN-γ induced NO release, even after a post-weaning HF diet. Our data demonstrated that there was an immunomodulation related to dietary fatty acids after the maternal LP diet-induced metabolic programming.

SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS AND MORPHOANATOMY OF Ocotea porosa SOMATIC EMBRYOS

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Luciana Luiza Pelegrini

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Ocotea porosa seeds have strong tegument dormancy, recalcitrant behavior, low and irregular germination and that makes its natural propagation difficult. The aim of this study was to establish a protocol of regeneration of Ocotea porosa from somatic embryogenesis. Immature embryonic axes were inoculated on WPM culture medium supplemented with 2.4-D (200 μM combined or not with hydrolyzed casein or glutamine (0.5 or 1 g l-1, during 90 days. The repetitive embryogenesis was induced on medium with 2.4-D (22.62 μM combined with 2-iP (2.46 μM followed by transfer to culture medium with hydrolyzed casein or glutamine (1 g l-1 during 90 days. The maturation of somatic embryos was tested in culture medium containing NAA (0.5 μM and 2-iP (5; 10 and 20 μM. The highest percentage of somatic embryos induction (8.3% was observed in WPM culture medium containing 200 μM 2.4-D and 1 g L-1 hydrolyzed casein and the development of somatic embryos occurred indirectly. Repetitive somatic embryogenesis was promoted in WPM medium containing hydrolyzed casein or glutamine. However, the culture medium containing hydrolyzed casein promoted the maintenance of embryogenic capacity for more than two years. During the maturity phase, there was a low progression of globular embryos to cordiform and torpedo stages. The different ontogenetic stages of somatic embryos of Ocotea porosa were characterized by histological studies.

SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS AND MORPHOANATOMY OF Ocotea porosa SOMATIC EMBRYOS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciana Luiza Pelegrini

2013-12-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1980509812343Ocotea porosa seeds have strong tegument dormancy, recalcitrant behavior, low and irregular germinationand that makes its natural propagation difficult. The aim of this study was to establish a protocol ofregeneration of Ocotea porosa from somatic embryogenesis. Immature embryonic axes were inoculatedon WPM culture medium supplemented with 2.4-D (200 μM combined or not with hydrolyzed casein orglutamine (0.5 or 1 g l-1, during 90 days. The repetitive embryogenesis was induced on medium with 2.4-D(22.62 μM combined with 2-iP (2.46 μM followed by transfer to culture medium with hydrolyzed caseinor glutamine (1 g l-1 during 90 days. The maturation of somatic embryos was tested in culture mediumcontaining NAA (0.5 μM and 2-iP (5; 10 and 20 μM. The highest percentage of somatic embryos induction(8.3% was observed in WPM culture medium containing 200 μM 2.4-D and 1 g L-1 hydrolyzed casein andthe development of somatic embryos occurred indirectly. Repetitive somatic embryogenesis was promotedin WPM medium containing hydrolyzed casein or glutamine. However, the culture medium containinghydrolyzed casein promoted the maintenance of embryogenic capacity for more than two years. Duringthe maturity phase, there was a low progression of globular embryos to cordiform and torpedo stages.The different ontogenetic stages of somatic embryos of Ocotea porosa were characterized by histologicalstudies.

Growth strategies and governance of horizontal business networks: the case of the biggest German cooperative food retail network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas Wegner

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Several growth strategies may be adopted by cooperative retail networks, but these strategies create dilemmas about how to organize business networks with a large number of participants and the adjustments in the governance system that are necessary to facilitate growth. The article examines the relations between the growth strategies adopted by a horizontal business network and its governance system. We analyze the case of Edeka, a centennial cooperative network, leader in food retail in Germany, showing its growth strategies and implications for the network structure. The case study was based on various secondary data sources and focuses the whole network – and not the networked firms – as the unit of analysis. Results indicate that, in order to grow, the network changed its governance structure and the process of participation of members in decision making, creating a hierarchical structure with professional management. The paper contributes to the discussions on cooperative governance and demonstrates that governance systems are transient and adapt to the network strategies. From a management viewpoint, the results show the effects of the growth strategies adopted by business networks, regarding the role of network managers and entrepreneurs in network management.

Model for the growth of the world airline network

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, T.; Araújo, N. A. M.; Nagler, J.; Andrade, J. S.; Herrmann, H. J.

2016-06-01

We propose a probabilistic growth model for transport networks which employs a balance between popularity of nodes and the physical distance between nodes. By comparing the degree of each node in the model network and the World Airline Network (WAN), we observe that the difference between the two is minimized for α≈2. Interestingly, this is the value obtained for the node-node correlation function in the WAN. This suggests that our model explains quite well the growth of airline networks.

DAF-16/FOXO and EGL-27/GATA promote developmental growth in response to persistent somatic DNA damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Michael M; Castells-Roca, Laia; Babu, Vipin; Ermolaeva, Maria A; Müller, Roman-Ulrich; Frommolt, Peter; Williams, Ashley B; Greiss, Sebastian; Schneider, Jennifer I; Benzing, Thomas; Schermer, Bernhard; Schumacher, Björn

2014-12-01

Genome maintenance defects cause complex disease phenotypes characterized by developmental failure, cancer susceptibility and premature ageing. It remains poorly understood how DNA damage responses function during organismal development and maintain tissue functionality when DNA damage accumulates with ageing. Here we show that the FOXO transcription factor DAF-16 is activated in response to DNA damage during development, whereas the DNA damage responsiveness of DAF-16 declines with ageing. We find that in contrast to its established role in mediating starvation arrest, DAF-16 alleviates DNA-damage-induced developmental arrest and even in the absence of DNA repair promotes developmental growth and enhances somatic tissue functionality. We demonstrate that the GATA transcription factor EGL-27 co-regulates DAF-16 target genes in response to DNA damage and together with DAF-16 promotes developmental growth. We propose that EGL-27/GATA activity specifies DAF-16-mediated DNA damage responses to enable developmental progression and to prolong tissue functioning when DNA damage persists.

Health status and productive performance of somatic cell cloned cattle and their offspring produced in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Shinya; Nagai, Takashi

2008-02-01

Since the first somatic cell cloned calves were born in Japan in 1998, more than 500 cloned cattle have been produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer and many studies concerning cloned cattle and their offspring have been conducted in this country. However, most of the results have been published in Japanese; thus, the data produced in this country is not well utilized by researchers throughout the world. This article reviews the 65 reports produced by Japanese researchers (62 written in Japanese and 3 written in English), which employed 171 clones and 32 offspring, and categorizes them according to the following 7 categories: (1) genetic similarities and muzzle prints, (2) hematology and clinical chemistry findings, (3) pathology, (4) growth performance, (5) reproductive performance, (6) meat production performance and (7) milk production performance. No remarkable differences in health status or reproductive performance were found among conventionally bred cattle, somatic cell cloned cattle surviving to adulthood and offspring of somatic cell cloned cattle. Similarities in growth performance and meat quality were observed between nuclear donor cattle and their clones. The growth curves of the offspring resembled those of their full siblings.

Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration of Capsicum baccatum L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peddaboina Venkataiah

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A plant regeneration protocol via somatic embryogenesis was achieved in cotyledon and leaf explants of Capsicum baccatum, when cultured on MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D, 0.5–5.0 mg l−1 in combination with Kinetin (Kn, 0.5 mg l−1 and 3% sucrose. Various stages were observed during the development of somatic embryos, including globular, heart, and torpedo-stages. Torpedo stage embryos were separated from the explants and subcultured on medium supplemented with various concentrations of different plant growth regulators for maturation. Maximum percentage (55% of somatic embryo germination and plantlet formation was found at 1.0 mg l−1 BA. Finally, about 68% of plantlets were successfully established under field conditions. The regenerated plants were morphologically normal, fertile and able to set viable seeds.

Somatic symptom disorder

Science.gov (United States)

... related disorders; Somatization disorder; Somatiform disorders; Briquet syndrome; Illness anxiety disorder References American Psychiatric Association. Somatic symptom disorder. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . ...

Somatic growth of mussels Mytilus edulis in field studies compared to predictions using BEG, DEB, and SFG models

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, Poul S.; Filgueira, Ramón; Riisgård, Hans Ulrik

2014-04-01

Prediction of somatic growth of blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, based on the data from 2 field-growth studies of mussels in suspended net-bags in Danish waters was made by 3 models: the bioenergetic growth (BEG), the dynamic energy budget (DEB), and the scope for growth (SFG). Here, the standard BEG model has been expanded to include the temperature dependence of filtration rate and respiration and an ad hoc modification to ensure a smooth transition to zero ingestion as chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration approaches zero, both guided by published data. The first 21-day field study was conducted at nearly constant environmental conditions with a mean chl a concentration of C = 2.7 μg L- 1, and the observed monotonous growth in the dry weight of soft parts was best predicted by DEB while BEG and SFG models produced lower growth. The second 165-day field study was affected by large variations in chl a and temperature, and the observed growth varied accordingly, but nevertheless, DEB and SFG predicted monotonous growth in good agreement with the mean pattern while BEG mimicked the field data in response to observed changes in chl a concentration and temperature. The general features of the models were that DEB produced the best average predictions, SFG mostly underestimated growth, whereas only BEG was sensitive to variations in chl a concentration and temperature. DEB and SFG models rely on the calibration of the half-saturation coefficient to optimize the food ingestion function term to that of observed growth, and BEG is independent of observed actual growth as its predictions solely rely on the time history of the local chl a concentration and temperature.

Management of somatic symptoms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schröder, Andreas; Dimsdale, Joel

2014-01-01

on the recognition and effective management of patients with excessive and disabling somatic symptoms. The clinical presentation of somatic symptoms is categorized into three groups of patients: those with multiple somatic symptoms, those with health anxiety, and those with conversion disorder. The chapter provides...

Influence of Growth Regulators on Callogenesis and Somatic Embryo Development in Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L. Sahelian Cultivars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Djibril Sané

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This study provides a physiological analysis of somatic embryogenesis in four elite cultivars of date palms: Ahmar, Amsekhsi, Tijib, and Amaside, from the initial callogenesis to establishment and proliferation of embryogenic suspension cultures. Somatic embryos development and in vitro plants rooting were also studied. For each step, auxins and cytokinins concentrations were optimised. The primary callogenesis from leaf explants of seedlings appeared highly dependent on genotype. Ahmar (80% and Amsekhsi (76% appeared highly callogenic, whereas Tijib (10% and Amaside (2% produced low amounts of calluses. 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid appeared favorable to the induction of primary callogenesis and its effect was enhanced by the addition of benzyl adenine or adenine sulfate. Secondary friable calli obtained from chopped granular calli were used to initiate embryogenic cell suspensions in media supplied with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Suspension cultures showed a growth rate of fourfold after four subcultures in presence of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid 2 mg/L. Our results showed that a seven-day transitory treatment with benzyl adenine 0,5 mg/L was necessary to optimize embryos development. Naphthalene acetic acid induced the development of primary orthogravitropic roots during embryos germination. The comparison with cytofluorometry of nuclear DNA amounts showed no significant difference in ploidy level between regenerated plants and seedlings.

Further evidence for a broader concept of somatization disorder using the somatic symptom index.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiller, W; Rief, W; Fichter, M M

1995-01-01

Somatization syndromes were defined in a sample of 102 psychosomatic inpatients according to the restrictive criteria of DSM-III-R somatization disorder and the broader diagnostic concept of the Somatic Symptom Index (SSI). Both groups showed a qualitatively similar pattern of psychopathological comorbidity and had elevated scores on measures of depression, hypochondriasis, and anxiety. A good discrimination between mild and severe forms of somatization was found by using the SSI criterion. SSI use accounted for a substantial amount of comorbidity variance, with rates of 15%-20% for depression, 16% for hypochondriasis, and 13% for anxiety. The results provide further evidence for the validity of the SSI concept, which reflects the clinical relevance of somatization in addition to the narrow definition of somatization disorder.

Telecommunications energy and greenhouse gas emissions management for future network growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, Chien Aun; Gygax, André F.; Leckie, Christopher; Wong, Elaine; Nirmalathas, Ampalavanapillai; Hinton, Kerry

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Model to evaluate key interdependencies of a fast growing telecommunications network. • Network growth analysis using real data and Monte Carlo simulation. • Importance of both operational and embodied energy efficiency improvements. • Embodied energy expected to dominate in the future under current energy efficiency trends. • Carbon footprint and energy management through optimum network replacement cycle. - Abstract: A key aspect of greener network deployment is how to achieve sustainable growth of a telecommunications network, both in terms of operational and embodied energy. Hence, in this paper we investigate how the overall energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of a fast growing telecommunications network can be minimized. Due to the complexities in modeling the embodied energy of networks, this aspect of energy consumption has received limited attention by network operators. Here, we present the first model to evaluate the interdependencies of the four main contributing factors in managing the sustainable growth of a telecommunications network: (i) the network’s operational energy consumption; (ii) the embodied energy of network equipment; (iii) network traffic growth; and (iv) the expected energy efficiency improvements in both the operational and embodied phases. Using Monte Carlo techniques with real network data, our results demonstrate that under the current trends in overall energy efficiency improvements the network embodied energy will account for over 40% of the total network energy in 2025 compared to 20% in 2015. Further, we find that the optimum equipment replacement cycle, which will result in the lowest total network life cycle energy, is directly dependent on the technological progress in energy efficiency improvements of both operational and embodied phases. Our model and analysis highlight the need for a comprehensive approach to better understand the interactions between network growth, technological

Is somatic comorbidity associated with more somatic symptoms, mental distress, or unhealthy lifestyle in elderly cancer survivors?

Science.gov (United States)

Grov, Ellen Karine; Fosså, Sophie D; Dahl, Alv A

2009-06-01

The associations of lifestyle factors, somatic symptoms, mental distress, and somatic comorbidity in elderly cancer survivors have not been well studied. This study examines these associations among elderly cancer survivors (age >or=65 years) in a population-based sample. A cross-sectional comparative study of Norwegian elderly cancer survivors. Combining information from The Norwegian Cancer Registry, and by self-reporting, 972 elderly cancer survivors were identified, of whom 632 (65%) had somatic comorbidity and 340 did not. Elderly cancer survivors with somatic comorbidity had significantly higher BMI, more performed minimal physical activity, had more somatic symptoms, used more medication, and had more frequently seen a medical doctor than survivors without somatic comorbidity. In multivariable analyses, unhealthy lifestyle and higher somatic symptoms scores were significantly associated with cancer cases with somatic comorbidity. In univariate analyses those with somatic comorbidity were significantly older, had lower levels of education, higher proportions of BMI >or= 30, less physical activity, poorer self-rated health, higher somatic symptoms score, more mental distress, had more frequently seen a medical doctor last year, and more frequently used daily medication. Our outcome measures of lifestyle, somatic symptoms and mental distress were all significantly associated with somatic comorbidity in elderly cancer survivors, however only lifestyle and somatic symptoms were significant in multivariable analyses. In elderly cancer survivors not only cancer, but also somatic comorbidity, deserve attention. Such comorbidity is associated with unhealthy lifestyles, more somatic symptoms and mental distress which should be evaluated and eventually treated.

Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) enhances somatic growth by regulating the GH-IGF axis in fingerlings of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata).

Science.gov (United States)

Vélez, Emilio J; Perelló, Miquel; Azizi, Sheida; Moya, Alberto; Lutfi, Esmail; Pérez-Sánchez, Jaume; Calduch-Giner, Josep A; Navarro, Isabel; Blasco, Josefina; Fernández-Borràs, Jaume; Capilla, Encarnación; Gutiérrez, Joaquim

2018-02-01

The growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) endocrine axis is the main growth-regulator system in vertebrates. Some authors have demonstrated the positive effects on growth of a sustained-release formulation of a recombinant bovine GH (rBGH) in different fish species. The aim of this work was to characterize the effects of a single injection of rBGH in fingerlings of gilthead sea bream on growth, GH-IGF axis, and both myogenic and osteogenic processes. Thus, body weight and specific growth rate were significantly increased in rBGH-treated fish respect to control fish at 6weeks post-injection, whereas the hepatosomatic index was decreased and the condition factor and mesenteric fat index were unchanged, altogether indicating enhanced somatic growth. Moreover, rBGH injection increased the plasma IGF-I levels in parallel with a rise of hepatic mRNA from total IGF-I, IGF-Ic and IGF-II, the binding proteins IGFBP-1a and IGFBP-2b, and also the receptors IGF-IRb, GHR-I and GHR-II. In skeletal muscle, the expression of IGF-Ib and GHR-I was significantly increased but that of IGF-IRb was reduced; the mRNA levels of myogenic regulatory factors, proliferation and differentiation markers (PCNA and MHC, respectively), or that of different molecules of the signaling pathway (TOR/AKT) were unaltered. Besides, the growth inhibitor myostatin (MSTN1 and MSTN2) and the hypertrophic marker (MLC2B) expression resulted significantly enhanced, suggesting altogether that the muscle is in a non-proliferative stage of development. Contrarily in bone, although the expression of most molecules of the GH/IGF axis was decreased, the mRNA levels of several osteogenic genes were increased. The histology analysis showed a GH induced lipolytic effect with a clear decrease in the subcutaneous fat layer. Overall, these results reveal that a better growth potential can be achieved on this species and supports the possibility to improve growth and quality through the optimization of its

Plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis from root explants of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A system for induction of callus and plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis from root explants of Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg. clone Reyan 87-6-62 was evaluated. The influence of plant growth regulators (PGRs) including 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) and kinetin (KT) on ...

Genetic and somatic effects in animals maintained on tritiated water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carsten, A.L.; Brooks, A.; Commerford, S.L.; Cronkite, E.P.

1981-01-01

The possible genetic (dominant lethal mutations (DLM) and cytogenetic changes in the regenerating liver) and somatic (hematopoietic stem cell changes, growth and nonspecific life time shortening) effects in mice maintained on tritiated water (HTO) over two generations was investigated. Results to date are summarized

The effects of growth hormone therapy on the somatic development of a group of Polish children with Silver-Russell syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Sienko, Magdalena; Petriczko, Elżbieta; Zajaczek, Stanislaw; Zygmunt-Gorska, Agata; Starzyk, Jerzy; Korpysz, Alicja; Petriczko, Jan; Walczak, Alicja; Walczak, Mieczysław

2017-12-01

Silver-Russell Syndrome is both clinically and genetically a heterogeneous syndrome. Among the most important dysmorphic features of this condition are: a triangular shaped face with a small mandible, a prominent frontal eminence, a thin vermilion border with downward-pointing lip corners, clino- and brachydactyly of the 5th fingers as well as body asymmetry. The most well-known genetic mutations in this syndrome are: the 11p15 epimutation (20-60% patients) and the maternal uniparental chromosome 7 disomy present in 7% to 15% of patients. Children with SRS have severely impaired physical growth - intrauterine and after birth. This, together with the aforementioned dysmorphic features, forms the main diagnostic criteria. The study group consisted of 12 children treated with growth hormone, aged 2 to 17 (8.9±4.0 years), therein, all of whom met the phenotype diagnostic criteria by Wollmann and Price. The effects of growth hormone therapy on somatic development of these children are also presented. Height and weight improved as a result of growth hormone treatment, but the effects were significantly worse than in children with IUGR. Children from the study group presented also a smaller an improvement in growth velocity than children from the control group, but the difference was statistically insignificant. Growth hormone therapy accelerates the growth of children with SRS but to a smaller extent than the growth of children born with intrauterine growth retardation without dysmorphic features.

A network growth model based on the evolutionary ultimatum game

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, L L; Zhou, G G; Cai, J H; Wang, C; Tang, W S

2012-01-01

In this paper, we provide a network growth model with incorporation into the ultimatum game dynamics. The network grows on the basis of the payoff-oriented preferential attachment mechanism, where a new node is added into the network and attached preferentially to nodes with higher payoffs. The interplay between the network growth and the game dynamics gives rise to quite interesting dynamical behaviors. Simulation results show the emergence of altruistic behaviors in the ultimatum game, which is affected by the growing network structure. Compared with the static counterpart case, the levels of altruistic behaviors are promoted. The corresponding strategy distributions and wealth distributions are also presented to further demonstrate the strategy evolutionary dynamics. Subsequently, we turn to the topological properties of the evolved network, by virtue of some statistics. The most studied characteristic path length and the clustering coefficient of the network are shown to indicate their small-world effect. Then the degree distributions are analyzed to clarify the interplay of structure and evolutionary dynamics. In particular, the difference between our growth network and the static counterpart is revealed. To explain clearly the evolved networks, the rich-club ordering and the assortative mixing coefficient are exploited to reveal the degree correlation. (paper)

Developmental time windows for axon growth influence neuronal network topology.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Sol; Kaiser, Marcus

2015-04-01

Early brain connectivity development consists of multiple stages: birth of neurons, their migration and the subsequent growth of axons and dendrites. Each stage occurs within a certain period of time depending on types of neurons and cortical layers. Forming synapses between neurons either by growing axons starting at similar times for all neurons (much-overlapped time windows) or at different time points (less-overlapped) may affect the topological and spatial properties of neuronal networks. Here, we explore the extreme cases of axon formation during early development, either starting at the same time for all neurons (parallel, i.e., maximally overlapped time windows) or occurring for each neuron separately one neuron after another (serial, i.e., no overlaps in time windows). For both cases, the number of potential and established synapses remained comparable. Topological and spatial properties, however, differed: Neurons that started axon growth early on in serial growth achieved higher out-degrees, higher local efficiency and longer axon lengths while neurons demonstrated more homogeneous connectivity patterns for parallel growth. Second, connection probability decreased more rapidly with distance between neurons for parallel growth than for serial growth. Third, bidirectional connections were more numerous for parallel growth. Finally, we tested our predictions with C. elegans data. Together, this indicates that time windows for axon growth influence the topological and spatial properties of neuronal networks opening up the possibility to a posteriori estimate developmental mechanisms based on network properties of a developed network.

Individual, spatial and inter-sex variation in somatic growth: a study of Piaractus mesopotamicus (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae, a long-distance freshwater Neotropical migratory fish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luzia da S. Lourenço

2017-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Growth is a fundamental biological process, driven by multiple endogenous (intra-individual and exogenous (environmental factors that maintain individual fitness and population stability. The current study aims to assess whether individual, spatial (headwaters and floodplains and inter-sex variation occurs in the growth of Piaractus mesopotamicus in the Cuiabá River basin. Samples were collected monthly from July 2006 to July 2007, at two areas in the Cuiabá River basin (headwaters and floodplain. Three growth models (individuals; individuals and sex factors; individuals and areas factors were developed and compared the fish growth parameters using Akaike information criterion (AIC. The best fit to the length-at-age data was obtained by a model that considered individual variation and sex. The theoretical maximum average length ( L∞ was 64.99 cm for females, and 63.23 cm for males. Females showed a growth rate (k of 0.230 yr-1and males of 0.196 yr-1. Thus, could be concluded that individual variability and sex were the main sources of variation in P. mesopotamicus somatic growth parameters.

Ethogram of Immature Green Turtles: Behavioral Strategies for Somatic Growth in Large Marine Herbivores

Science.gov (United States)

Okuyama, Junichi; Nakajima, Kana; Noda, Takuji; Kimura, Satoko; Kamihata, Hiroko; Kobayashi, Masato; Arai, Nobuaki; Kagawa, Shiro; Kawabata, Yuuki; Yamada, Hideaki

2013-01-01

Animals are assumed to obtain/conserve energy effectively to maximise their fitness, which manifests itself in a variety of behavioral strategies. For marine animals, however, these behavioral strategies are generally unknown due to the lack of high-resolution monitoring techniques in marine habitats. As large marine herbivores, immature green turtles do not need to allocate energy to reproduction but are at risk of shark predation, although it is a rare occurrence. They are therefore assumed to select/use feeding and resting sites that maximise their fitness in terms of somatic growth, while avoiding predation. We investigated fine-scale behavioral patterns (feeding, resting and other behaviors), microhabitat use and time spent on each behavior for eight immature green turtles using data loggers including: depth, global positioning system, head acceleration, speed and video sensors. Immature green turtles at Iriomote Island, Japan, spent an average of 4.8 h feeding on seagrass each day, with two peaks, between 5∶00 and 9∶00, and between 17∶00 and 20∶00. This feeding pattern appeared to be restricted by gut capacity, and thus maximised energy acquisition. Meanwhile, most of the remaining time was spent resting at locations close to feeding grounds, which allowed turtles to conserve energy spent travelling and reduced the duration of periods exposed to predation. These behavioral patterns and time allocations allow immature green turtles to effectively obtain/conserve energy for growth, thus maximising their fitness. PMID:23840367

Ethogram of Immature Green Turtles: Behavioral Strategies for Somatic Growth in Large Marine Herbivores.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junichi Okuyama

Full Text Available Animals are assumed to obtain/conserve energy effectively to maximise their fitness, which manifests itself in a variety of behavioral strategies. For marine animals, however, these behavioral strategies are generally unknown due to the lack of high-resolution monitoring techniques in marine habitats. As large marine herbivores, immature green turtles do not need to allocate energy to reproduction but are at risk of shark predation, although it is a rare occurrence. They are therefore assumed to select/use feeding and resting sites that maximise their fitness in terms of somatic growth, while avoiding predation. We investigated fine-scale behavioral patterns (feeding, resting and other behaviors, microhabitat use and time spent on each behavior for eight immature green turtles using data loggers including: depth, global positioning system, head acceleration, speed and video sensors. Immature green turtles at Iriomote Island, Japan, spent an average of 4.8 h feeding on seagrass each day, with two peaks, between 5∶00 and 9∶00, and between 17∶00 and 20∶00. This feeding pattern appeared to be restricted by gut capacity, and thus maximised energy acquisition. Meanwhile, most of the remaining time was spent resting at locations close to feeding grounds, which allowed turtles to conserve energy spent travelling and reduced the duration of periods exposed to predation. These behavioral patterns and time allocations allow immature green turtles to effectively obtain/conserve energy for growth, thus maximising their fitness.

Hypochondriasis and somatization.

Science.gov (United States)

Kellner, R

1987-11-20

Between 60% and 80% of healthy individuals experience somatic symptoms in any one week. About 10% to 20% of a random sample of people worry intermittently about illness. A substantial proportion of patients present physicians with somatic complaints for which no organic cause can be found. Patients who are hypochondriacal do not understand the benign nature of functional somatic symptoms and interpret these as evidence of disease. Hypochondriacal concerns range from common short-lived worries to persistent and distressing fears or convictions of having a disease. Hypochondriasis can be secondary to other psychiatric disorders (eg, melancholia or panic disorder), and hypochondriacal attitudes remit when the primary disorder is successfully treated. Patients with primary hypochondriasis are also anxious or depressed, but the fear of disease, or the false belief of having a disease, persists and is the most important feature of their psychopathology. There are substantial differences among hypochondriacal patients in their personalities and psychopathologies. Psychotherapy as well as psychotropic drugs are effective in the treatment of functional somatic symptoms. There are no adequate controlled studies on the value of psychotherapy in hypochondriasis; the recommended guidelines are based on uncontrolled studies of hypochondriasis and on controlled studies of the psychotherapy in similar disorders. The prognosis of functional somatic symptoms as well as that of hypochondriasis is good in a substantial proportion of patients.

Predicting company growth using logistic regression and neural networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marijana Zekić-Sušac

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The paper aims to establish an efficient model for predicting company growth by leveraging the strengths of logistic regression and neural networks. A real dataset of Croatian companies was used which described the relevant industry sector, financial ratios, income, and assets in the input space, with a dependent binomial variable indicating whether a company had high-growth if it had annualized growth in assets by more than 20% a year over a three-year period. Due to a large number of input variables, factor analysis was performed in the pre -processing stage in order to extract the most important input components. Building an efficient model with a high classification rate and explanatory ability required application of two data mining methods: logistic regression as a parametric and neural networks as a non -parametric method. The methods were tested on the models with and without variable reduction. The classification accuracy of the models was compared using statistical tests and ROC curves. The results showed that neural networks produce a significantly higher classification accuracy in the model when incorporating all available variables. The paper further discusses the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches, i.e. logistic regression and neural networks in modelling company growth. The suggested model is potentially of benefit to investors and economic policy makers as it provides support for recognizing companies with growth potential, especially during times of economic downturn.

Networks: Innovation, Growth and Sustainable Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Johnston

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The emergence of the Internet as a measureable manifestation of our social and economic relationships changed the domination of networks in our lives. From about 2000, the internet has allowed us to study and understand the type of networks in which we live, and to model their behaviour. The Internet has fundamentally changed the distribution of wealth. The rich became richer simply because of the larger scale of the trading network and stretched national wealth distributions. Network effects are therefore likely to be responsible for much of the perceived increases in inequalities in the last 20-30 years, and policies to tackle poverty must therefore address the extent to which the poor can engage with society's networks of wealth creation. The greatest challenge to continued growth and prosperity, and therefore to peace and justice, is climate change. The potential cost of inaction on climate change could be as high. Our self-organising social networks have structured our societies and economies, and are now reflected in our technology networks. We can now replicate their evolution in computer simulations and can therefore better assess how to deal with the greatest challenges facing us in the next few decades.

Novel technologies using radiation and somatic embryogenesis for Kenaf improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rusli Ibrahim; Siti Mariam Mohd Nahar; Siti Hajar Mohd Nahar; Abdul Rahim Harun; Azhar Mohamad; Sobri Hussein

2010-01-01

Full text: Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is a plant in the Malvaceae family, similar to roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), holds a promising potential in the Malaysian bio composite industry. Its long fibres are suitable in the process of making a number of products such as pulp and paper, fibre and particle boards, as well as fibre reinforced plastic components and chemical absorbent. Most varieties of kenaf are photo period sensitive and vegetative growth increases until the daylight period becomes less than 12 h 30 min. flowering is then initiated and the vegetative growth rate declines. At present, most of the varieties planted by the farmers produced very low yield, between 3-5 tons/ha. The aim of this research proposal is to study the potential of using nuclear technique with the use radiation in combination with biotechnology to induce genetic variability in kenaf using somatic embryogenesis. Since mutation is a single cell event, irradiation of cell cultures such as somatic embryos will induce high rate of mutation for selection of desired traits. One of the main objectives of the project was to establish an efficient and productive regeneration system for intact plants from somatic embryos obtained from the original mother plant varieties: G4, V36 dan G393. Once regeneration protocol has been optimized, somatic embryos were irradiated using both acute (high dose rate) and chronic (lower dose rate) gamma irradiation with effective doses (2-3 doses). It takes between 4-5 months to reach maximum height of 4-6 meters from seed propagated plants before they can be harvested. With the use of in vitro mutagenesis, screening and selection of new mutant lines with traits of interest can be achieved within a short period of time (3-5 years). Field evaluations were carried out in collaboration with National Kenaf and Tobacco Board (NKTB) and Kelantan Biotech Corporation Sdn. Bhd. targeted for desired

[Somatization disorders of the urogenital tract].

Science.gov (United States)

Günthert, E A

2002-11-01

Diffuse symptoms in the urogenital region can frequently be explained by somatization disorders. Since they cannot be proven either by laboratory tests or with common technical diagnostic methods, somatization disorders should always be taken into consideration. Somatization disorders are to be considered functional disorders. Since somatization disorders due to muscular tension prevail in the urogenital region, the functional disturbance can be explained by the muscular tension. Subsequently, muscular tension causes the pathophysiological development of symptoms. As a rule they appear as myofascial pain or disorder. Muscular tension can have a psychic origin. The absence of urological findings is typical. Males and females between the ages of 16 and 75 can be affected by somatization disorders in the urogenital region. Somatization disorders due to muscular tension belong to the large group of symptoms due to tension. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures as well as the pathophysiology of somatization disorders due to muscular tension are illustrated by two detailed case-reports.

Somatic mutations affect key pathways in lung adenocarcinoma

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Li; Getz, Gad; Wheeler, David A.; Mardis, Elaine R.; McLellan, Michael D.; Cibulskis, Kristian; Sougnez, Carrie; Greulich, Heidi; Muzny, Donna M.; Morgan, Margaret B.; Fulton, Lucinda; Fulton, Robert S.; Zhang, Qunyuan; Wendl, Michael C.; Lawrence, Michael S.; Larson, David E.; Chen, Ken; Dooling, David J.; Sabo, Aniko; Hawes, Alicia C.; Shen, Hua; Jhangiani, Shalini N.; Lewis, Lora R.; Hall, Otis; Zhu, Yiming; Mathew, Tittu; Ren, Yanru; Yao, Jiqiang; Scherer, Steven E.; Clerc, Kerstin; Metcalf, Ginger A.; Ng, Brian; Milosavljevic, Aleksandar; Gonzalez-Garay, Manuel L.; Osborne, John R.; Meyer, Rick; Shi, Xiaoqi; Tang, Yuzhu; Koboldt, Daniel C.; Lin, Ling; Abbott, Rachel; Miner, Tracie L.; Pohl, Craig; Fewell, Ginger; Haipek, Carrie; Schmidt, Heather; Dunford-Shore, Brian H.; Kraja, Aldi; Crosby, Seth D.; Sawyer, Christopher S.; Vickery, Tammi; Sander, Sacha; Robinson, Jody; Winckler, Wendy; Baldwin, Jennifer; Chirieac, Lucian R.; Dutt, Amit; Fennell, Tim; Hanna, Megan; Johnson, Bruce E.; Onofrio, Robert C.; Thomas, Roman K.; Tonon, Giovanni; Weir, Barbara A.; Zhao, Xiaojun; Ziaugra, Liuda; Zody, Michael C.; Giordano, Thomas; Orringer, Mark B.; Roth, Jack A.; Spitz, Margaret R.; Wistuba, Ignacio I.; Ozenberger, Bradley; Good, Peter J.; Chang, Andrew C.; Beer, David G.; Watson, Mark A.; Ladanyi, Marc; Broderick, Stephen; Yoshizawa, Akihiko; Travis, William D.; Pao, William; Province, Michael A.; Weinstock, George M.; Varmus, Harold E.; Gabriel, Stacey B.; Lander, Eric S.; Gibbs, Richard A.; Meyerson, Matthew; Wilson, Richard K.

2009-01-01

Determining the genetic basis of cancer requires comprehensive analyses of large collections of histopathologically well-classified primary tumours. Here we report the results of a collaborative study to discover somatic mutations in 188 human lung adenocarcinomas. DNA sequencing of 623 genes with known or potential relationships to cancer revealed more than 1,000 somatic mutations across the samples. Our analysis identified 26 genes that are mutated at significantly high frequencies and thus are probably involved in carcinogenesis. The frequently mutated genes include tyrosine kinases, among them the EGFR homologue ERBB4; multiple ephrin receptor genes, notably EPHA3; vascular endothelial growth factor receptor KDR; and NTRK genes. These data provide evidence of somatic mutations in primary lung adenocarcinoma for several tumour suppressor genes involved in other cancers—including NF1, APC, RB1 and ATM—and for sequence changes in PTPRD as well as the frequently deleted gene LRP1B. The observed mutational profiles correlate with clinical features, smoking status and DNA repair defects. These results are reinforced by data integration including single nucleotide polymorphism array and gene expression array. Our findings shed further light on several important signalling pathways involved in lung adenocarcinoma, and suggest new molecular targets for treatment. PMID:18948947

The impact of capacity growth in national telecommunications networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Lord, Andrew; Soppera, Andrea; Jacquet, Arnaud

2016-03-06

This paper discusses both UK-based and global Internet data bandwidth growth, beginning with historical data for the BT network. We examine the time variations in consumer behaviour and how this is statistically aggregated into larger traffic loads on national core fibre communications networks. The random nature of consumer Internet behaviour, where very few consumers require maximum bandwidth simultaneously, provides the opportunity for a significant statistical gain. The paper looks at predictions for how this growth might continue over the next 10-20 years, giving estimates for the amount of bandwidth that networks should support in the future. The paper then explains how national networks are designed to accommodate these traffic levels, and the various network roles, including access, metro and core, are described. The physical layer network is put into the context of how the packet and service layers are designed and the applications and location of content are also included in an overall network overview. The specific role of content servers in alleviating core network traffic loads is highlighted. The status of the relevant transmission technologies in the access, metro and core is given, showing that these technologies, with adequate research, should be sufficient to provide bandwidth for consumers in the next 10-20 years. © 2016 The Author(s).

Direct and Indirect Somatic Embryogenesis from Petiole and Leaf Explants of Purple Fan Flower (Scaevola aemula R. Br. cv. 'Purple Fanfare')

OpenAIRE

Shyama Ranjani Weerakoon

2010-01-01

Direct and indirect somatic embryogenesis (SE) from petiole and leaf explants of Scaevola aemula R. Br. cv. 'Purple Fanfare' was achieved. High frequency of somatic embryos was obtained directly from petiole and leaf explants using an inductive plant growth regulator signal thidiazuron (TDZ). Petiole explants were more responsive to SE than leaves. Plants derived from somatic embryos of petiole explants germinated more readily into plants. SE occurred more efficiently in ...

Maturation and germination of somatic embryos of Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench cultivar 'CIAP 132R-05'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvio de J Martínez

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench], developed protocols for plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis do not include maturation stage. The present work was carried out with the aim of achieving the maturation and germination of sorghum somatic embryos in cultivar 'CIAP 132R-05'. It were studied four concentrations of sucrose (30, 50, 70 and 90 g l-1, two of abscisic acid (0.25 and 0.5 μM and a control without this growth regulator. Germination initiation (days and number of somatic embryos with complete germination were evaluated in three periods (1 - 7, 8 - 14 and 15 - 21 days of culture. In addition, the effect of 6-BAP (8.9, 17.8 and 26.6 μM on somatic embryo germination was determined. The germination start time (days and after 21 days the number of somatic embryos with complete germination and plants with malformations were determined. The addition of 70 g l-1 sucrose in the culture medium without abscisic acid increased the germination of the somatic embryos to 37.2 plants per embryo group (0.5 g of fresh mass. The highest number of somatic embryos germinated was obtained with 17.78 μM 6-BAP in the germination culture medium. It was demonstrated the need of a maturation stage in the sorghum somatic embryogenesis to increase the germination percentage.   Keywords: somatic embryogenesis, sorghum, sucrose, 6-BAP

Monitoring Milk Somatic Cell Counts

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Gheorghe Şteţca

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The presence of somatic cells in milk is a widely disputed issue in milk production sector. The somatic cell counts in raw milk are a marker for the specific cow diseases such as mastitis or swollen udder. The high level of somatic cells causes physical and chemical changes to milk composition and nutritional value, and as well to milk products. Also, the mastitic milk is not proper for human consumption due to its contribution to spreading of certain diseases and food poisoning. According to these effects, EU Regulations established the maximum threshold of admitted somatic cells in raw milk to 400000 cells / mL starting with 2014. The purpose of this study was carried out in order to examine the raw milk samples provided from small farms, industrial type farms and milk processing units. There are several ways to count somatic cells in milk but the reference accepted method is the microscopic method described by the SR EN ISO 13366-1/2008. Generally samples registered values in accordance with the admissible limit. By periodical monitoring of the somatic cell count, certain technological process issues are being avoided and consumer’s health ensured.

Mediators between bereavement and somatic symptoms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konkolÿ Thege Barna

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In our research we examined the frequency of somatic symptoms among bereaved (N = 185 and non-bereaved men and women in a national representative sample (N = 4041 and investigated the possible mediating factors between bereavement status and somatic symptoms. Methods Somatic symptoms were measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15, anxiety with a four-point anxiety rating scale, and depression with a nine-item shortened version of the Beck Depression Inventory. Results Among the bereaved, somatic symptoms proved to be significantly more frequent in both genders when compared to the non-bereaved, as did anxiety and depression. On the multivariate level, the results show that both anxiety and depression proved to be a mediator between somatic symptoms and bereavement. The effect sizes indicated that for both genders, anxiety was a stronger predictor of somatic symptoms than depression. Conclusions The results of our research indicate that somatic symptoms accompanying bereavement are not direct consequences of this state but they can be traced back to the associated anxiety and depression. These results draw attention to the need to recognize anxiety and depression looming in the background of somatic complaints in bereavement and to the importance of the dissemination of related information.

piggyBac transposon somatic mutagenesis with an activated reporter and tracker (PB-SMART for genetic screens in mice.

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Sean F Landrette

Full Text Available Somatic forward genetic screens have the power to interrogate thousands of genes in a single animal. Retroviral and transposon mutagenesis systems in mice have been designed and deployed in somatic tissues for surveying hematopoietic and solid tumor formation. In the context of cancer, the ability to visually mark mutant cells would present tremendous advantages for identifying tumor formation, monitoring tumor growth over time, and tracking tumor infiltrations and metastases into wild-type tissues. Furthermore, locating mutant clones is a prerequisite for screening and analyzing most other somatic phenotypes. For this purpose, we developed a system using the piggyBac (PB transposon for somatic mutagenesis with an activated reporter and tracker, called PB-SMART. The PB-SMART mouse genetic screening system can simultaneously induce somatic mutations and mark mutated cells using bioluminescence or fluorescence. The marking of mutant cells enable analyses that are not possible with current somatic mutagenesis systems, such as tracking cell proliferation and tumor growth, detecting tumor cell infiltrations, and reporting tissue mutagenesis levels by a simple ex vivo visual readout. We demonstrate that PB-SMART is highly mutagenic, capable of tumor induction with low copy transposons, which facilitates the mapping and identification of causative insertions. We further integrated a conditional transposase with the PB-SMART system, permitting tissue-specific mutagenesis with a single cross to any available Cre line. Targeting the germline, the system could also be used to conduct F1 screens. With these features, PB-SMART provides an integrated platform for individual investigators to harness the power of somatic mutagenesis and phenotypic screens to decipher the genetic basis of mammalian biology and disease.

Genetic stability evaluation of quercus suber l. somatic embryogenesis by rapd analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandes, P.; Costa, A.; Rocha, A.C.C.; Santos, C.

2011-01-01

A reliable protocol for adult Quercus suber L. somatic embryogenesis (SE) was developed recently. To evaluate the potential use of this protocol in cork oak forest breeding programs, it is essential to guarantee somatic embryos/emblings genetic stability. Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) is currently used to assess somaclonal variation providing information on genetic variability of the micropropagation process. In this work, SE was induced from adult trees by growing leaf explants on MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D and zeatin. Embling conversion took place on MS medium without growth regulators. DNA from donor tree, somatic embryos and emblings was used to assess genetic variability by RAPD fingerprinting. Fourteen primers produced 165 genetic loci with high quality and reproducibility. Despite somatic embryos originated some poor quality PCR-profiles, replicable and excellent fingerprints were obtained for both donor plant and embling. Results presented no differences among regenerated emblings and donor plant. Hence, the SE protocol used did not induce, up to moment, any genetic variability, confirming data previously obtained with other molecular/genetic techniques, supporting that this protocol may be used to provide true-to-type plants from important forestry species. (author)

Osteoporosis and Somatization of Anxiety

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Papanikou

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Chronic stress can now be physiologically traced as a significant player in the creation of osteoporotic bones. The present pilot study involved 100 women (N = 42 have been diagnosed with osteopenia, N = 21 have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, N = 37 had a non-osteoporotic condition who participated in the Hellenic Society of Osteoporosis Association Support. Correlations between somatic symptoms of anxiety and osteoporosis, and among medications and somatization in women were explored. Assessments were based on a self-report demographic questionnaire and on the Short Anxiety Screening Test (SAST administered for detection of anxiety disorder and somatization. Statistical analysis detected non-significant differences regarding the correlation between anxiety symptomatology or somatization due to osteoporosis and osteopenia diagnosis. The same pattern is observed among women’s age group, the occupational and marital status. Hypothesis that the osteoporosis and osteopenia group would manifest significant relationships with the age group and medicines was confirmed, as well as between somatization and medicines that women with osteoporosis and osteopenia undertake. The results suggest that women are not prone to manifest anxiety or somatization in relation to the osteoporosis condition. However, the majority of women with osteoporosis and osteopenia consume more than two medicines other than those for osteoporosis. This quantity and combination they undertake appear to contribute and deteriorate their anxiety/somatization symptomatology. Further research based on a larger sample would give more definite results.

Predicting economic growth with stock networks

Science.gov (United States)

Heiberger, Raphael H.

2018-01-01

Networks derived from stock prices are often used to model developments on financial markets and are tightly intertwined with crises. Yet, the influence of changing market topologies on the broader economy (i.e. GDP) is unclear. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian approach that utilizes individual-level network measures of companies as lagged probabilistic features to predict national economic growth. We use a comprehensive data set consisting of Standard and Poor's 500 corporations from January 1988 until October 2016. The final model forecasts correctly all major recession and prosperity phases of the U.S. economy up to one year ahead. By employing different network measures on the level of corporations, we can also identify which companies' stocks possess a key role in a changing economic environment and may be used as indication of critical (and prosperous) developments. More generally, the proposed approach allows to predict probabilities for different overall states of social entities by using local network positions and could be applied on various phenomena.

Weed Growth Stage Estimator Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teimouri, Nima; Dyrmann, Mads; Nielsen, Per Rydahl

2018-01-01

conditions with regards to soil types, resolution and light settings. Then, 9649 of these images were used for training the computer, which automatically divided the weeds into nine growth classes. The performance of this proposed convolutional neural network approach was evaluated on a further set of 2516...... in estimating the number of leaves and 96% accuracy when accepting a deviation of two leaves. These results show that this new method of using deep convolutional neural networks has a relatively high ability to estimate early growth stages across a wide variety of weed species....

The somatic symptom scale-8 (SSS-8): a brief measure of somatic symptom burden.

Science.gov (United States)

Gierk, Benjamin; Kohlmann, Sebastian; Kroenke, Kurt; Spangenberg, Lena; Zenger, Markus; Brähler, Elmar; Löwe, Bernd

2014-03-01

Somatic symptoms are the core features of many medical diseases, and they are used to evaluate the severity and course of illness. The 8-item Somatic Symptom Scale (SSS-8) was recently developed as a brief, patient-reported outcome measure of somatic symptom burden, but its reliability, validity, and usefulness have not yet been tested. To investigate the reliability, validity, and severity categories as well as the reference scores of the SSS-8. A national, representative general-population survey was performed between June 15, 2012, and July 15, 2012, in Germany, including 2510 individuals older than 13 years. The SSS-8 mean (SD), item-total correlations, Cronbach α, factor structure, associations with measures of construct validity (Patient Health Questionnaire-2 depression scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 scale, visual analog scale for general health status, 12-month health care use), severity categories, and percentile rank reference scores. The SSS-8 had excellent item characteristics and good reliability (Cronbach α = 0.81). The factor structure reflects gastrointestinal, pain, fatigue, and cardiopulmonary aspects of the general somatic symptom burden. Somatic symptom burden as measured by the SSS-8 was significantly associated with depression (r = 0.57 [95% CI, 0.54 to 0.60]), anxiety (r = 0.55 [95% CI, 0.52 to 0.58]), general health status (r = -0.24 [95% CI, -0.28 to -0.20]), and health care use (incidence rate ratio, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.10 to 1.14]). The SSS-8 severity categories were calculated in accordance with percentile ranks: no to minimal (0-3 points), low (4-7 points), medium (8-11 points), high (12-15 points), and very high (16-32 points) somatic symptom burden. For every SSS-8 severity category increase, there was a 53% (95% CI, 44% to 63%) increase in health care visits. The SSS-8 is a reliable and valid self-report measure of somatic symptom burden. Cutoff scores identify individuals with low, medium, high, and very high somatic

Histology of somatic embryos of eurycoma longifolia (simaroubaceae): relevance in agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balakrishnan, B.; Rabiah, S.S.; Keng, C.L.

2014-01-01

Histological analysis conducted on somatic embryos of Eurycoma longifolia shows the developmental structures that are remarkably similar to seeds found in the wild. The primary components of a growing somatic embryo are its shoot and root apical meristems indicated by dense layers of rapidly growing cells. The increased understanding of In vitro culture systems and anatomical changes provide information into cellular processes that govern genetic transformation of E. longifolia with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The presence of meristematic regions on cultured somatic embryos suggests that they are suitable for genetic transformation as genetic elements could be transported to these regions where growth and differentiation are centered. This allows the successful integration and expression of transferred DNA in the host organism, leading the way for an efficient A. rhizogenes-mediated transformation protocol. (author)

Evaluation of Nine Somatic Variant Callers for Detection of Somatic Mutations in Exome and Targeted Deep Sequencing Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Krøigård, Anne Bruun; Thomassen, Mads; Lænkholm, Anne-Vibeke; Kruse, Torben A; Larsen, Martin Jakob

2016-01-01

Next generation sequencing is extensively applied to catalogue somatic mutations in cancer, in research settings and increasingly in clinical settings for molecular diagnostics, guiding therapy decisions. Somatic variant callers perform paired comparisons of sequencing data from cancer tissue and matched normal tissue in order to detect somatic mutations. The advent of many new somatic variant callers creates a need for comparison and validation of the tools, as no de facto standard for detection of somatic mutations exists and only limited comparisons have been reported. We have performed a comprehensive evaluation using exome sequencing and targeted deep sequencing data of paired tumor-normal samples from five breast cancer patients to evaluate the performance of nine publicly available somatic variant callers: EBCall, Mutect, Seurat, Shimmer, Indelocator, Somatic Sniper, Strelka, VarScan 2 and Virmid for the detection of single nucleotide mutations and small deletions and insertions. We report a large variation in the number of calls from the nine somatic variant callers on the same sequencing data and highly variable agreement. Sequencing depth had markedly diverse impact on individual callers, as for some callers, increased sequencing depth highly improved sensitivity. For SNV calling, we report EBCall, Mutect, Virmid and Strelka to be the most reliable somatic variant callers for both exome sequencing and targeted deep sequencing. For indel calling, EBCall is superior due to high sensitivity and robustness to changes in sequencing depths.

Determining bank effects on economic growth: An artificial neural network analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex Senajon

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study characterized the influence of the banking industry’s influence on the growth of the economy. A neural network using the Multilayer Perception was used to define functions of Universal Bank, Cooperative Bank, and Thrift Bank as predictors of Gross Domestic Product growth. Using data series from 2003- 2013, it was found that Universal banks have been growing tremendously taking huge shares of growth compared to the other two bank types. Meantime, the Gross Domestic Product was found to be steadily growing over the same period with a significant spike in 2004. In addition, neural network presents the contribution of the bank types on Gross Domestic Product, and found that the assets and capital of rural banks positively affect the Gross Domestic Product growth. As such, the sensitivity analysis of the Artificial Neural Network indicates Rural banks asset as the most important predictor of all the chosen variables followed by Universal bank capital. However, the capital of Thrift banks was found to show least contribution on the growth of the Gross Domestic Product.

Evaluation of Nine Somatic Variant Callers for Detection of Somatic Mutations in Exome and Targeted Deep Sequencing Data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Bruun Krøigård

Full Text Available Next generation sequencing is extensively applied to catalogue somatic mutations in cancer, in research settings and increasingly in clinical settings for molecular diagnostics, guiding therapy decisions. Somatic variant callers perform paired comparisons of sequencing data from cancer tissue and matched normal tissue in order to detect somatic mutations. The advent of many new somatic variant callers creates a need for comparison and validation of the tools, as no de facto standard for detection of somatic mutations exists and only limited comparisons have been reported. We have performed a comprehensive evaluation using exome sequencing and targeted deep sequencing data of paired tumor-normal samples from five breast cancer patients to evaluate the performance of nine publicly available somatic variant callers: EBCall, Mutect, Seurat, Shimmer, Indelocator, Somatic Sniper, Strelka, VarScan 2 and Virmid for the detection of single nucleotide mutations and small deletions and insertions. We report a large variation in the number of calls from the nine somatic variant callers on the same sequencing data and highly variable agreement. Sequencing depth had markedly diverse impact on individual callers, as for some callers, increased sequencing depth highly improved sensitivity. For SNV calling, we report EBCall, Mutect, Virmid and Strelka to be the most reliable somatic variant callers for both exome sequencing and targeted deep sequencing. For indel calling, EBCall is superior due to high sensitivity and robustness to changes in sequencing depths.

Single cell analysis demonstrating somatic mosaicism involving 11p in a patient with paternal isodisomy and Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bischoff, F.Z.; McCaskill, C.; Subramanian, S. [Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX (United States)] [and others

1994-09-01

Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS) is characterized by numerous growth abnormalities including exomphalos, macroglossia, gigantism, and hemihypertrophy or hemihyperplasia. The {open_quotes}BWS gene{close_quotes} appears to be maternally repressed and is suspected to function as a growth factor or regulator of somatic growth, since activation of this gene through a variety of mechanisms appears to result in somatic overgrowth and tumor development. Mosaic paternal isodisomy of 11p has been observed previously by others in patients with BWS by Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA. The interpretation of these results was primarily based on the intensities of the hybridization signals for the different alleles. In our study, we demonstrate somatic mosaicism directly through PCR and single cell analysis. Peripheral blood was obtained from a patient with BWS and initial genomic DNA analysis by PCR was suggestive of somatic mosaicism for paternal isodisomy of 11p. Through micromanipulation, single cells were isolated and subjected to primer extention preamplification. Locus-specific microsatellite marker analyses by PCR were performed to determine the chromosome 11 origins in the preamplified individual cells. Two populations of cells were detected, a population of cells with normal biparental inheritance and a population of cells with paternal isodisomy of 11p and biparental disomy of 11q. Using the powerful approach of single cell analysis, the detected somatic mosaicism provides evidence for a mitotic recombinational event that has resulted in loss of the maternal 11p region and gain of a second copy of paternal 11p in some cells. The direct demonstration of mosaicism may explain the variable phenotypes and hemihypertrophy often observed in BWS.

No evidence of somatic aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein mutations in sporadic endocrine neoplasia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raitila, A; Georgitsi, M; Karhu, A

2007-01-01

. Here, we have analyzed 32 pituitary adenomas and 79 other tumors of the endocrine system for somatic AIP mutations by direct sequencing. No somatic mutations were identified. However, two out of nine patients with prolactin-producing adenoma were shown to harbor a Finnish founder mutation (Q14X...... as non-secreting pituitary adenomas have been reported, most mutation-positive patients have had growth hormone-producing adenomas diagnosed at relatively young age. Pituitary adenomas are also component tumors of some familial endocrine neoplasia syndromes such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1...... (MEN1) and Carney complex (CNC). Genes underlying MEN1 and CNC are rarely mutated in sporadic pituitary adenomas, but more often in other lesions contributing to these two syndromes. Thus far, the occurrence of somatic AIP mutations has not been studied in endocrine tumors other than pituitary adenomas...

Employment growth through labor flow networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Guerrero, Omar A; Axtell, Robert L

2013-01-01

It is conventional in labor economics to treat all workers who are seeking new jobs as belonging to a labor pool, and all firms that have job vacancies as an employer pool, and then match workers to jobs. Here we develop a new approach to study labor and firm dynamics. By combining the emerging science of networks with newly available employment micro-data, comprehensive at the level of whole countries, we are able to broadly characterize the process through which workers move between firms. Specifically, for each firm in an economy as a node in a graph, we draw edges between firms if a worker has migrated between them, possibly with a spell of unemployment in between. An economy's overall graph of firm-worker interactions is an object we call the labor flow network (LFN). This is the first study that characterizes a LFN for an entire economy. We explore the properties of this network, including its topology, its community structure, and its relationship to economic variables. It is shown that LFNs can be useful in identifying firms with high growth potential. We relate LFNs to other notions of high performance firms. Specifically, it is shown that fewer than 10% of firms account for nearly 90% of all employment growth. We conclude with a model in which empirically-salient LFNs emerge from the interaction of heterogeneous adaptive agents in a decentralized labor market.

Employment growth through labor flow networks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omar A Guerrero

Full Text Available It is conventional in labor economics to treat all workers who are seeking new jobs as belonging to a labor pool, and all firms that have job vacancies as an employer pool, and then match workers to jobs. Here we develop a new approach to study labor and firm dynamics. By combining the emerging science of networks with newly available employment micro-data, comprehensive at the level of whole countries, we are able to broadly characterize the process through which workers move between firms. Specifically, for each firm in an economy as a node in a graph, we draw edges between firms if a worker has migrated between them, possibly with a spell of unemployment in between. An economy's overall graph of firm-worker interactions is an object we call the labor flow network (LFN. This is the first study that characterizes a LFN for an entire economy. We explore the properties of this network, including its topology, its community structure, and its relationship to economic variables. It is shown that LFNs can be useful in identifying firms with high growth potential. We relate LFNs to other notions of high performance firms. Specifically, it is shown that fewer than 10% of firms account for nearly 90% of all employment growth. We conclude with a model in which empirically-salient LFNs emerge from the interaction of heterogeneous adaptive agents in a decentralized labor market.

Extending a structural model of somatization to South Koreans: Cultural values, somatization tendency, and the presentation of depressive symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xiaolu; Min, Seongho; Sun, Jiahong; Kim, Se Joo; Ahn, Joung-Sook; Peng, Yunshi; Noh, Samuel; Ryder, Andrew G

2015-05-01

Somatization refers to the tendency to emphasize somatic symptoms when experiencing a psychiatric disturbance. This tendency has been widely reported in patients from East Asian cultural contexts suffering from depression. Recent research in two Chinese samples have demonstrated that the local cultural script for depression, involving two aspects-the experience and expression of distress (EED) and conceptualization and communication of distress (CCD)-can be evoked to help explain somatization. Given the beliefs and practices broadly shared across Chinese and South Korean cultural contexts, the current study seeks to replicate this explanatory model in South Koreans. Our sample included 209 psychiatric outpatients from Seoul and Wonju, South Korea. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess somatization tendency, adherence to traditional values, and psychological and somatic symptoms of depression. Results from SEM showed that the EED and CCD factors of somatization tendency were differently associated with cultural values and somatic symptoms, replicating our previous findings in Chinese outpatients. The reliance on a brief self-report measure of somatization tendency, not originally designed to assess separate EED and CCD factors, highlights the need for measurement tools for the assessment of cultural scripts in cross-cultural depression research. The replication of the Chinese structural model of somatization in South Korea lends empirical support to the view that somatization can be understood as the consequence of specific cultural scripts. These scripts involve the experience and expression of distress as well as culturally meaningful ways in which this distress is conceptualized and communicated to others. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growth of single walled carbon nanotubes networks using Al - Ni as catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotlar, M.; Vesely, M.; Redhammer, R.; Vretenar, V.

2011-01-01

The growth of SWCNTs networks on the SiO 2 chips was examined for different growth temperatures and annealing times. According to Raman spectroscopy the temperature is a significant parameter which affects quality of carbon nanotubes. For higher temperatures (850 - 900 deg C) the best quality was achieved. On the other hand, the different annealing times did not affect results of our experiments. SWCNTs network consists of large amount of intersecting carbon nanotubes. This network is electrically conductive over large distances. The SWCNTs networks can be used as transparent conductive layer or as sensitive layer of chemical sensors. (authors)

Entrepreneurs’ growth-expectations: Enhanced by their networking and by national growth-policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schøtt, Thomas; Ashourizadeh, Shayegheh

or running the business. The entrepreneur’s expectation is shaped partly by individual behavior, including networking with others who give advice on the business. The entrepreneur’s expectation is also shaped by the societal context, including policies. Policy for growth-entrepreneurship is the societal...

Plant regeneration via direct somatic embryogenesis from leaf explants of Tolumnia Louise Elmore 'Elsa'.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Hui-Ju; Chen, Jen-Tsung; Chung, Hsiao-Hang; Chang, Wei-Chin

2018-01-22

Tolumnia genus (equitant Oncidium) is a group of small orchids with vivid flower color. Thousands of hybrids have been registered on Royal Horticulture Society and showed great potential for ornamental plant market. The aim of this study is to establish an efficient method for in vitro propagation. Leaf explants taken from in vitro-grown plants were used to induce direct somatic embryogenesis on a modified 1/2 MS medium supplemented with five kinds of cytokinins, 2iP, BA, kinetin, TDZ and zeatin at 0.3, 1 and 3 mg l -1 in darkness. TDZ at 3 mg l -1 gave the highest percentage of explants with somatic globular embryos after 90 days of culture. It was found that 2,4-D and light regime highly retarded direct somatic embryogenesis and showed 95-100% of explant browning. Histological observations revealed that the leaf cells divided into meristematic cells firstly, followed by somatic proembryos, and then somatic globular embryos. Eventually, somatic embryos developed a bipolar structure with the shoot apical meristem and the root meristem. Scanning electron microscopy observations showed that the direct somatic embryogenesis from leaf explants was asynchronously. The somatic embryos were found on the leaf tip, the adaxial surface and also the mesophyll through a cleft, and it reflected the heterogeneity of the explant. The 90-day-old globular embryos were detached from the parent explants and transferred onto a hormone-free 1/2 MS medium in light condition for about 1 month to obtain 1-cm-height plantlets. After another 3 months for growth, the plantlets were potted with Sphagnum moss and were acclimatized in a shaded greenhouse. After 1 month of culture, the survival rate was 100%. In this report, a protocol for efficient regenerating a Tolumnia orchid, Louise Elmore 'Elsa', was established via direct somatic embryogenesis and might reveal an alternative approach for mass propagation of Tolumnia genus in orchid industry.

Cell proliferation along vascular islands during microvascular network growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelly-Goss Molly R

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Observations in our laboratory provide evidence of vascular islands, defined as disconnected endothelial cell segments, in the adult microcirculation. The objective of this study was to determine if vascular islands are involved in angiogenesis during microvascular network growth. Results Mesenteric tissues, which allow visualization of entire microvascular networks at a single cell level, were harvested from unstimulated adult male Wistar rats and Wistar rats 3 and 10 days post angiogenesis stimulation by mast cell degranulation with compound 48/80. Tissues were immunolabeled for PECAM and BRDU. Identification of vessel lumens via injection of FITC-dextran confirmed that endothelial cell segments were disconnected from nearby patent networks. Stimulated networks displayed increases in vascular area, length density, and capillary sprouting. On day 3, the percentage of islands with at least one BRDU-positive cell increased compared to the unstimulated level and was equal to the percentage of capillary sprouts with at least one BRDU-positive cell. At day 10, the number of vascular islands per vascular area dramatically decreased compared to unstimulated and day 3 levels. Conclusions These results show that vascular islands have the ability to proliferate and suggest that they are able to incorporate into the microcirculation during the initial stages of microvascular network growth.

Somatic symptom profiles in the general population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eliasen, Marie; Jørgensen, Torben; Schröder, Andreas

2017-01-01

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify and describe somatic symptom profiles in the general adult population in order to enable further epidemiological research within multiple somatic symptoms. METHODS: Information on 19 self-reported common somatic symptoms was achieved from a population...

MMPI screening scales for somatization disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Wetzel, R D; Brim, J; Guze, S B; Cloninger, C R; Martin, R L; Clayton, P J

1999-08-01

44 items on the MMPI were identified which appear to correspond to some of the symptoms in nine of the 10 groups on the Perley-Guze checklist for somatization disorder (hysteria). This list was organized into two scales, one reflecting the total number of symptoms endorsed and the other the number of organ systems with at least one endorsed symptom. Full MMPIs were then obtained from 29 women with primary affective disorder and 37 women with somatization disorder as part of a follow-up study of a consecutive series of 500 psychiatric clinic patients seen at Washington University. Women with the diagnosis of somatization disorder scored significantly higher on the somatization disorder scales created from the 44 items than did women with only major depression. These new scales appeared to be slightly more effective in identifying somatization disorder than the use of the standard MMPI scales for hypochondriasis and hysteria. Further development is needed.

Somatic embryogenesis of East Kalimantan local upland rice varieties

Science.gov (United States)

Nurhasanah; Ramitha; Supriyanto, B.; Sunaryo, W.

2018-04-01

Somatic embryogenesis is the formation, growth and development of embryos from somatic cells. Somatic embryo induction is one of the in vitro plant propagation techniques that is very important for plant developmental purposes. Four local upland rice varieties of East Kalimantan, Mayas Pancing, Gedagai, Siam and Serai, were used in this study. A total of 200 explants (mature rice grains) for each varieties were inoculated on MS solid medium supplemented with 1 mg L-1 2,4 Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) and 0.5 mg L-1 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP). The results showed that response of each variety differed to embryosomatic induction, indicated by callus induction rate and callus quality, in terms of callus color and structure. The fastest callus formation was sobserved in Gedagai variety (8 days) while Mayas Pancing (13 days) was the latest one. The rate of callus induction varied from 60 to 98.5 %, and Serai variety has the highest callus induction rate. The highest friable callus structure was found in Siam variety (89.1%) and the lowest was in Gedagai (62.5%). Callus color was dominated by the yellowish-white (transparent) on all varieties tested. Most of the callus was potential as embryogenic callus characterized from the nodular and globular of friable callus structure and its yellowish-white color.

Personality characteristics in patients with somatized disorder

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Ekaterina Anatolyevna Tolkach

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: to study personality characteristics, behavioral style, and modes of relations with their people in patients with somatized disorder. Subjects and methods. Eighty-six patients diagnosed as having somatized disorder were examined using Leary's interpersonal diagnosis system. Results. The author revealed the following personality characteristics and behavioral styles: a depressed need for authoritarianism, dominance, autonomy, aggressiveness, a display of qualities, such as superfriendliness, benevolence, submissiveness, dependency, and suspiciousness. These characteristics give an insight into the development of somatization in patients with somatized disorder.

Population-based statistical inference for temporal sequence of somatic mutations in cancer genomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhee, Je-Keun; Kim, Tae-Min

2018-04-20

It is well recognized that accumulation of somatic mutations in cancer genomes plays a role in carcinogenesis; however, the temporal sequence and evolutionary relationship of somatic mutations remain largely unknown. In this study, we built a population-based statistical framework to infer the temporal sequence of acquisition of somatic mutations. Using the model, we analyzed the mutation profiles of 1954 tumor specimens across eight tumor types. As a result, we identified tumor type-specific directed networks composed of 2-15 cancer-related genes (nodes) and their mutational orders (edges). The most common ancestors identified in pairwise comparison of somatic mutations were TP53 mutations in breast, head/neck, and lung cancers. The known relationship of KRAS to TP53 mutations in colorectal cancers was identified, as well as potential ancestors of TP53 mutation such as NOTCH1, EGFR, and PTEN mutations in head/neck, lung and endometrial cancers, respectively. We also identified apoptosis-related genes enriched with ancestor mutations in lung cancers and a relationship between APC hotspot mutations and TP53 mutations in colorectal cancers. While evolutionary analysis of cancers has focused on clonal versus subclonal mutations identified in individual genomes, our analysis aims to further discriminate ancestor versus descendant mutations in population-scale mutation profiles that may help select cancer drivers with clinical relevance.

Metabolite profiling of somatic embryos of Cyclamen persicum in comparison to zygotic embryos, endosperm and testa

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Traud eWinkelmann

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Somatic embryogenesis has been shown to be an efficient in vitro plant regeneration system for many crops such as the important ornamental plant Cyclamen persicum, for which this regeneration pathway of somatic embryogenesis is of interest for the vegetative propagation of parental lines as well as elite plants. However, somatic embryogenesis is not commercially used in many crops due to several unsolved problems, such as malformations, asynchronous development, deficiencies in maturation and germination of somatic embryos. In contrast, zygotic embryos in seeds develop and germinate without abnormalities in most cases. Instead of time-consuming and labor-intensive experiments involving tests of different in vitro culture conditions and plant growth regulator supplements, we follow a more directed approach. Zygotic embryos served as a reference and were compared to somatic embryos in metabolomic analyses allowing the future optimization of the in vitro system. The aims of this study were to detect differences in the metabolite profiles of torpedo stage somatic and zygotic embryos of C. persicum. Moreover, major metabolites in endosperm and testa were identified and quantified.Two sets of extracts of two to four biological replicates each were analyzed. In total 52 metabolites were identified and quantified in the different tissues. One of the most significant differences between somatic and zygotic embryos was that the proline concentration in the zygotic embryos was about 40 times higher than that found in somatic embryos. Epicatechin, a scavenger for reactive oxygen species, was found in highest abundance in the testa. Sucrose, the most abundant metabolite was detected in significantly higher concentrations in zygotic embryos. Also, a yet unknown trisaccharide, was significantly enriched in zygotic embryos.

A Method for Upper Bounding Long Term Growth of Network Access Speed

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Thomas Phillip Knudsen

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The development in home Internet access speed has shown an exponential development with growth rates averaging 25% per year. For resource management in network provisioning it becomes an urgent question how long such growth can continue. This paper presents a method for calculating an upper bound to visual content driven growth, proceeding from datarate requirements for a full virtual environment. Scenarios and approaches for reducing datarate requirements are considered and discussed. The presented figures for an upper bound on network access speed are discussed and perspectives on further research presented.

A Method for Upper Bounding Long Term Growth of Network Access Speed

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Thomas Phillip; Pedersen, Jens Myrup; Madsen, Ole Brun

2004-01-01

The development in home Internet access speed has shown an exponential development with growth rates averaging 25% per year. For resource management in network provisioning it becomes an urgent question how long such growth can continue. This paper presents a method for calculating an upper bound...... to visual content driven growth, proceeding from datarate requirements for a full virtual environment. Scenarios and approaches for reducing datarate requirements are considered and discussed. The presented figures for an upper bound on network access speed are discussed and perspectives on further research...

Somatic tinnitus prevalence and treatment with tinnitus retraining therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ostermann, K; Lurquin, P; Horoi, M; Cotton, P; Hervé, V; Thill, M P

2016-01-01

Somatic tinnitus originates from increased activity of the dorsal cochlear nucleus, a cross-point between the somatic and auditory systems. Its activity can be modified by auditory stimulation or somatic system manipulation. Thus, sound enrichment and white noise stimulation might decrease tinnitus and associated somatic symptoms. The present uncontrolled study sought to determine somatic tinnitus prevalence among tinnitus sufferers, and to investigate whether sound therapy with counselling (tinnitus retraining therapy; TRT) may decrease tinnitus-associated somatic symptoms. To determine somatic tinnitus prevalence, 70 patients following the TRT protocol completed the Jastreboff Structured Interview (JSI) with additional questions regarding the presence and type of somatic symptoms. Among 21 somatic tinnitus patients, we further investigated the effects of TRT on tinnitus-associated facial dysesthesia. Before and after three months of TRT, tinnitus severity was evaluated using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), and facial dysesthesia was assessed with an extended JSI-based questionnaire. Among the evaluated tinnitus patients, 56% presented somatic tinnitus-including 51% with facial dysesthesia, 36% who could modulate tinnitus by head and neck movements, and 13% with both conditions. Self-evaluation indicated that TRT significantly improved tinnitus and facial dysesthesia in 76% of patients. Three months of TRT led to a 50% decrease in mean THI and JSI scores regarding facial dysesthesia. Somatic tinnitus is a frequent and underestimated condition. We suggest an extension of the JSI, including specific questions regarding somatic tinnitus. TRT significantly improved tinnitus and accompanying facial dysesthesia, and could be a useful somatic tinnitus treatment.

The Role of Somatic Symptoms in Sexual Medicine: Somatization as Important Contextual Factor in Male Sexual Dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Fanni, Egidia; Castellini, Giovanni; Corona, Giovanni; Boddi, Valentina; Ricca, Valdo; Rastrelli, Giulia; Fisher, Alessandra Daphne; Cipriani, Sarah; Maggi, Mario

2016-09-01

An important feature of somatic symptom disorder is the subjective perception of the physical symptoms and its maladaptive interpretation. Considering that psychological distress is often expressed through somatic symptoms, it is possible that they underlie at least a part of the symptoms in subjects complaining of sexual dysfunction. Nevertheless, studies on the impact of somatoform disorders in sexual dysfunction are scanty. To define the psychological, relational, and organic correlates of somatic symptoms in a large sample of patients complaining of sexual problems. A consecutive series of 2833 men (mean age 50.2 ± 13.5 years) was retrospectively studied. Somatic symptoms were assessed using the "somatized anxiety symptoms" subscale of the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ-S). Several clinical, biochemical, psychological, and relational parameters were studied. Patients were interviewed with the previously validated Structured Interview on Erectile Dysfunction (SIEDY), and ANDROTEST (a structured interview for the screening of hypogonadism in patients with sexual dysfunction). Among the 2833 patients studied, subjects scoring higher on somatic symptoms were older, more obese, reporting unhealthy lifestyle (current smoking, alcohol consumption), and a lower education (all P sexuality more often, including erectile problems (spontaneous or sexual-related), low sexual desire, decreased frequency of intercourse, and perceived reduction of ejaculate volume (all P sexual dysfunction. High levels of somatic symptoms in subjects with sexual dysfunction can be related to the sexual symptom itself. The consequences of this pattern have great clinical relevance in a sexual medicine setting, considering their severe impact on sexuality. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Somatic complaints, emotional awareness and maladjustment in schoolchildren].

Science.gov (United States)

Ordóñez, A; Maganto, C; González, R

2015-05-01

Somatic complaints are common in childhood. Research has shown their relationship with emotional awareness and maladjustment. The study had three objectives: 1) to analyze the prevalence of somatic complaints; 2) To explore the relationships between the variables evaluated: somatic complaints, differentiating emotions, verbal sharing of emotions, not hiding emotions, body awareness, attending to others' emotions, analysis of emotions, and personal, social, family, and school maladjustments; and 3) To identify predictors of somatic complaints. The study included a total of 1,134 randomly selected schoolchildren of both sexes between 10-12 years old (M=10.99; SD=0.88). The Somatic Complaint List, Emotional Awareness Questionnaire, and Self-reported Multifactor Test of Childhood Adaptation were used to gather information. The results showed that the prevalence of somatic complaints was 90.2%, with fatigue, headache and stomachache being the most frequently. Dizziness and headache were more common in girls, and the frequency of complaints decreases with age. Somatic complaints are negatively related to emotional awareness, and positively related to maladjustment. The variables that contribute the most to the prediction of somatic complaints are personal maladjustment (25.1%) and differentiating emotions (2.5%). The study shows that personal maladjustment is the best predictor of somatic complaints; the more emotional awareness and better adapted the child, the fewer somatic complaints they lodge. Childhood is a stage with significant physical discomfort. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

The Somatic Complaints List: Validation of a self-report questionnaire assessing somatic complaints in children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jellesma, F. C.; Rieffe, C.J.; Meerum Terwogt, M.

2007-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the Somatic Complaint List (SCL) in children. Method: At T1, 365 fourth and 352 fifth graders completed the SCL, the Children's Somatization Inventory (CSI-C), and the Mood Questionnaire. Parents (n=564) completed the parental form of the CSI-C (CSI-P). Six months later, the

Somatization in Parkinson's Disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carrozzino, Danilo; Bech, Per; Patierno, Chiara

2017-01-01

The current systematic review study is aimed at critically analyzing from a clinimetric viewpoint the clinical consequence of somatization in Parkinson's Disease (PD). By focusing on the International Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we...... consequence of such psychiatric symptom should be further evaluated by replacing the clinically inadequate diagnostic label of psychogenic parkinsonism with the psychosomatic concept of persistent somatization as conceived by the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR)....

Ecological network analysis for economic systems: growth and development and implications for sustainable development.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jiali; Ulanowicz, Robert E

2014-01-01

The quantification of growth and development is an important issue in economics, because these phenomena are closely related to sustainability. We address growth and development from a network perspective in which economic systems are represented as flow networks and analyzed using ecological network analysis (ENA). The Beijing economic system is used as a case study and 11 input-output (I-O) tables for 1985-2010 are converted into currency networks. ENA is used to calculate system-level indices to quantify the growth and development of Beijing. The contributions of each direct flow toward growth and development in 2010 are calculated and their implications for sustainable development are discussed. The results show that during 1985-2010, growth was the main attribute of the Beijing economic system. Although the system grew exponentially, its development fluctuated within only a small range. The results suggest that system ascendency should be increased in order to favor more sustainable development. Ascendency can be augmented in two ways: (1) strengthen those pathways with positive contributions to increasing ascendency and (2) weaken those with negative effects.

Interspecific somatic hybridization between lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and wild species L. virosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, E

1991-02-01

Somatic hybrids between cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and a wild species L. virosa were produced by protoplast electrofusion. Hybrid selection was based on inactivation of L. sativa with 20mM iodoacetamide for 15 min, and the inability of L. virosa protoplasts to divide in the culture conditions used. Protoplasts were cultured in agarose beads in a revised MS media. In all 71 calli were formed and 21 of them differentiated shoots on LS medium containing 0.1mg/l NAA and 0.2mg/l BA. Most regenerated plants exhibited intermediate morphology. These plants were confirmed as hybrids by isoenzyme analysis. The majority of somatic hybrids had 2n=4x=36 chromosomes, and had more vigorous growth than either parent. Hybrids had normal flower morphology, but all were sterile.

Simulating urban growth by emphasis on connective routes network (case study: Bojnourd city

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Mehdi Saadat Novin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Development of urban construction and ever-increasing growth of population lead to landuse changes especially in agricultural lands, which play an important role in providing human food. According to this issue, a proper landuse planning is required to protecting and preserving the valuable agricultural lands and environment, in today’s world. The prediction of urban growth can help in understanding the potential impacts on a region’s water resource, economy and people. One of the effective parameters in development of cities is connective routes network and their different types and qualities that play an important role in decreasing or increasing the growth of the city. On the other hand, the type of the connective routes network is an important factor for the speed and quality of development. In this paper, two different scenarios were used to simulate landuse changes and analyzing their results. In first scenario, modeling is based on the effective parameters in urban growth without classification of connective routes network. In the second scenario, effective parameters in urban growth were considered and connective routes were classified in 6 different classes with different weights in order to examine their effect on urban development. Simulation of landuse has been carried out for 2020–2050. The results clearly showed the effect of the connective routes network classification in output maps so that the effect of the first and second main routes network in development, is conspicuous.

Somatization: a perspective from self psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodin, G M

1991-01-01

Somatization is a complex phenomenon that occurs in many forms and diverse settings. It is not necessarily pathological and may be found in a variety of psychiatric disorders. Much of the psychiatric literature has focused on patients with conversion disorders and hypochondriasis. Psychoanalytic theories regarding such conditions were largely based upon concepts of drive, conflict, and defense. The perspective from self psychology, with its emphasis on subjective experience and the sense of self, may further enhance the psychoanalytic understanding of somatization. Individuals with disturbances in the stability and organization of the self may present with somatic symptoms and disturbances in emotional awareness. Somatization in such cases may be the experiential manifestation of a disturbance in the cohesion of the self and/or may result from defensive operations to ward off affect. The latter may be prominent when affective arousal triggers the psychological threat of fragmentation. Somatization may diminish in such individuals when a self-object relationship is formed that bolsters and consolidates the sense of self. The integration of affect into ongoing subjective experience may also be an important aspect of psychoanalytic treatment in such patients.

Noise suppress or express exponential growth for hybrid Hopfield neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Song; Shen Yi; Chen Guici

2010-01-01

In this Letter, we will show that noise can make the given hybrid Hopfield neural networks whose solution may grows exponentially become the new stochastic hybrid Hopfield neural networks whose solution will grows at most polynomially. On the other hand, we will also show that noise can make the given hybrid Hopfield neural networks whose solution grows at most polynomially become the new stochastic hybrid Hopfield neural networks whose solution will grows at exponentially. In other words, we will reveal that the noise can suppress or express exponential growth for hybrid Hopfield neural networks.

Predictive factors for somatization in a trauma sample

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elklit, Ask; Christiansen, Dorte M

2009-01-01

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Unexplained somatic symptoms are common among trauma survivors. The relationship between trauma and somatization appears to be mediated by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, only few studies have focused on what other psychological risk factors may predispose...... a trauma victim towards developing somatoform symptoms. METHODS: The present paper examines the predictive value of PTSD severity, dissociation, negative affectivity, depression, anxiety, and feeling incompetent on somatization in a Danish sample of 169 adult men and women who were affected by a series...... of incompetence significantly predicted somatization in the trauma sample whereas dissociation, depression, and anxiety were not associated with degree of somatization. PTSD as a risk factor was mediated by negative affectivity....

Somatic point mutation calling in low cellularity tumors.

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Karin S Kassahn

Full Text Available Somatic mutation calling from next-generation sequencing data remains a challenge due to the difficulties of distinguishing true somatic events from artifacts arising from PCR, sequencing errors or mis-mapping. Tumor cellularity or purity, sub-clonality and copy number changes also confound the identification of true somatic events against a background of germline variants. We have developed a heuristic strategy and software (http://www.qcmg.org/bioinformatics/qsnp/ for somatic mutation calling in samples with low tumor content and we show the superior sensitivity and precision of our approach using a previously sequenced cell line, a series of tumor/normal admixtures, and 3,253 putative somatic SNVs verified on an orthogonal platform.

Somatic embryogenesis of Carica Papaya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvina Lindsay Mijen; Rusli Ibrahim

2006-01-01

This paper describes the somatic embryogenesis of Carica papaya. Culture medium used was1/2 strength MS basal medium supplemented with 6% sucrose, 0.27 % agar, glutamine and various concentrations of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). After 8 weeks in culture, the best concentration of 2,4-D to induce somatic embryo is at 45.2 μM. (Author)

Unbound (bioavailable IGF1 enhances somatic growth

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Sebastien Elis

2011-09-01

Understanding insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1 biology is of particular importance because, apart from its role in mediating growth, it plays key roles in cellular transformation, organ regeneration, immune function, development of the musculoskeletal system and aging. IGF1 bioactivity is modulated by its binding to IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs and the acid labile subunit (ALS, which are present in serum and tissues. To determine whether IGF1 binding to IGFBPs is necessary to facilitate normal growth and development, we used a gene-targeting approach and generated two novel knock-in mouse models of mutated IGF1, in which the native Igf1 gene was replaced by Des-Igf1 (KID mice or R3-Igf1 (KIR mice. The KID and KIR mutant proteins have reduced affinity for the IGFBPs, and therefore present as unbound IGF1, or ‘free IGF1’. We found that both KID and KIR mice have reduced serum IGF1 levels and a concomitant increase in serum growth hormone levels. Ternary complex formation of IGF1 with the IGFBPs and the ALS was markedly reduced in sera from KID and KIR mice compared with wild type. Both mutant mice showed increased body weight, body and bone lengths, and relative lean mass. We found selective organomegaly of the spleen, kidneys and uterus, enhanced mammary gland complexity, and increased skeletal acquisition. The KID and KIR models show unequivocally that IGF1-complex formation with the IGFBPs is fundamental for establishing normal body and organ size, and that uncontrolled IGF bioactivity could lead to pathological conditions.

Induction of somatic embryogenesis in soybean: physicochemical factors influencing the development of somatic embryos

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Bonacin Gisele Aparecida

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The embryogenic capability of five soybean cultivars (Renascença, IAS-5, IAC-17, BR-16 and FT-Cometa was studied at different auxin concentrations (8, 10 and 12 mg/l naphthalene acetic acid, NAA, at different pHs (5.8 and 7.0 and at low (8-12 muEm-2 s-1 and high (27-33 mEm-2 s-1 light intensities. The experimental design was completely randomized with four replications. Immature cotyledons 4-6 mm in length were placed in the six induction mediums evaluated and submitted to two light intensities. Twenty immature cotyledons per cultivar were placed on each Petri dish, which was considered to be one replication. The number of somatic embryos per treatment per replication was counted. The results showed genotype influence on somatic embryogenic capability of each cultivar, with the most embryogenic cultivars being BR-16, FT-Cometa and IAS-5. Auxin concentration and pH value also influenced somatic embryo production, with 10 mg/l NAA being the best auxin concentration and 7.0 the best pH value. The interactions cultivar x auxin, auxin x pH and pH x light were significant, while other double interactions were not. All triple and quadruple interactions were significant, except cultivar x pH x light. No significant differences in somatic embryo production were observed in medium with different pHs or when the Petri dishes containing immature cotyledons were exposed to the two light intensities evaluated. However, a higher number of somatic embryos was produced when the medium pH was adjusted to 7.0.

Depression and hypochondriasis in family practice patients with somatization disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Oxman, T E; Barrett, J

1985-10-01

The relationships specified in DSM-III between somatization disorder and depression, and somatization disorder and hypochondriasis require further validation and easier methods of detection for use by primary care physicians. The authors investigated hypochondriacal and depressive symptoms in 13 family practice outpatients with somatization disorder. Pain complaints and depressive symptomatology were present in over 75% of this group, while hypochondriacal symptoms were present in 38%. The mean score on the somatization scale of the Hopkins Symptom Check List (HSCL-90) was greater than that reported for any other group. These findings support the separation of somatization disorder and hypochondriasis and suggest the need for better delineation of depressive subtypes in somatization disorder. The somatization scale of the HSCL-90 should be a useful screen for somatization disorder in future research.

Multicellularity makes somatic differentiation evolutionarily stable

Science.gov (United States)

Wahl, Mary E.; Murray, Andrew W.

2016-01-01

Many multicellular organisms produce two cell lineages: germ cells, whose descendants produce the next generation, and somatic cells, which support, protect, and disperse the germ cells. This germ-soma demarcation has evolved independently in dozens of multicellular taxa but is absent in unicellular species. A common explanation holds that in these organisms, inefficient intercellular nutrient exchange compels the fitness cost of producing nonreproductive somatic cells to outweigh any potential benefits. We propose instead that the absence of unicellular, soma-producing populations reflects their susceptibility to invasion by nondifferentiating mutants that ultimately eradicate the soma-producing lineage. We argue that multicellularity can prevent the victory of such mutants by giving germ cells preferential access to the benefits conferred by somatic cells. The absence of natural unicellular, soma-producing species previously prevented these hypotheses from being directly tested in vivo: to overcome this obstacle, we engineered strains of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that differ only in the presence or absence of multicellularity and somatic differentiation, permitting direct comparisons between organisms with different lifestyles. Our strains implement the essential features of irreversible conversion from germ line to soma, reproductive division of labor, and clonal multicellularity while maintaining sufficient generality to permit broad extension of our conclusions. Our somatic cells can provide fitness benefits that exceed the reproductive costs of their production, even in unicellular strains. We find that nondifferentiating mutants overtake unicellular populations but are outcompeted by multicellular, soma-producing strains, suggesting that multicellularity confers evolutionary stability to somatic differentiation. PMID:27402737

Somatically acquired structural genetic differences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magaard Koldby, Kristina; Nygaard, Marianne; Christensen, Kaare

2016-01-01

Structural genetic variants like copy number variants (CNVs) comprise a large part of human genetic variation and may be inherited as well as somatically acquired. Recent studies have reported the presence of somatically acquired structural variants in the human genome and it has been suggested t...... with age.European Journal of Human Genetics advance online publication, 20 April 2016; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2016.34....

Escherichia coli growth modeling using neural network | Shamsudin ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

technique that has the ability to predict with efficient and good performance. Using NARX, a highly accurate model was developed to predict the growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli) based on pH water parameter. The multiparameter portable sensor and spectrophotometer data were used to build and train the neural network.

Growth dominates choice in network percolation

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayaraghavan, Vikram S.; Noël, Pierre-André; Waagen, Alex; D'Souza, Raissa M.

2013-09-01

The onset of large-scale connectivity in a network (i.e., percolation) often has a major impact on the function of the system. Traditionally, graph percolation is analyzed by adding edges to a fixed set of initially isolated nodes. Several years ago, it was shown that adding nodes as well as edges to the graph can yield an infinite order transition, which is much smoother than the traditional second-order transition. More recently, it was shown that adding edges via a competitive process to a fixed set of initially isolated nodes can lead to a delayed, extremely abrupt percolation transition with a significant jump in large but finite systems. Here we analyze a process that combines both node arrival and edge competition. If started from a small collection of seed nodes, we show that the impact of node arrival dominates: although we can significantly delay percolation, the transition is of infinite order. Thus, node arrival can mitigate the trade-off between delay and abruptness that is characteristic of explosive percolation transitions. This realization may inspire new design rules where network growth can temper the effects of delay, creating opportunities for network intervention and control.

Gender separation increases somatic growth in females but does not affect lifespan in Nothobranchius furzeri.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Graf

2010-08-01

Full Text Available According to life history theory, physiological and ecological traits and parameters influence an individual's life history and thus, ultimately, its lifespan. Mating and reproduction are costly activities, and in a variety of model organisms, a negative correlation of longevity and reproductive effort has been demonstrated. We are employing the annual killifish Nothobranchius furzeri as a vertebrate model for ageing. N. furzeri is the vertebrate displaying the shortest known lifespan in captivity with particular strains living only three to four months under optimal laboratory conditions. The animals show explosive growth, early sexual maturation and age-dependent physiological and behavioural decline. Here, we have used N. furzeri to investigate a potential reproduction-longevity trade-off in both sexes by means of gender separation. Though female reproductive effort and offspring investment were significantly reduced after separation, as investigated by analysis of clutch size, eggs in the ovaries and ovary mass, the energetic surplus was not reallocated towards somatic maintenance. In fact, a significant extension of lifespan could not be observed in either sex. This is despite the fact that separated females, but not males, grew significantly larger and heavier than the respective controls. Therefore, it remains elusive whether lifespan of an annual species evolved in periodically vanishing habitats can be prolonged on the cost of reproduction at all.

The impact on growth of outside-in and inside-out innovation in SME networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brink, Tove

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to reveal what impact the dual approaches of outside-in and inside-out innovation have on growth in turnover in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) working together in network context. This is illustrated through research in three informal, Danish food industry...... networks with 60 SMEs responding. The research employs structural equation modelling for statistical analyses. The findings reveal that both the outside-in and the inside-out approaches have a significant positive impact on innovation and growth. The findings shed light on the need for combined dual...... on innovation and growth. A contribution is also made to the SME-network for organising the loosely coupled system in a dual approach....

Dance and Somatic Inquiry in Studios and Community Dance Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Eddy, Martha Hart

2002-01-01

Addresses pragmatic aspects of somatics in the public sector, investigating the fit of somatics within various institutions and settings, including universities, professional schools, and community programs. The article explores issues such as somatic movement approaches, certification, academic degrees in somatic study, confusions within the…

Resting state networks' corticotopy: the dual intertwined rings architecture.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salma Mesmoudi

Full Text Available How does the brain integrate multiple sources of information to support normal sensorimotor and cognitive functions? To investigate this question we present an overall brain architecture (called "the dual intertwined rings architecture" that relates the functional specialization of cortical networks to their spatial distribution over the cerebral cortex (or "corticotopy". Recent results suggest that the resting state networks (RSNs are organized into two large families: 1 a sensorimotor family that includes visual, somatic, and auditory areas and 2 a large association family that comprises parietal, temporal, and frontal regions and also includes the default mode network. We used two large databases of resting state fMRI data, from which we extracted 32 robust RSNs. We estimated: (1 the RSN functional roles by using a projection of the results on task based networks (TBNs as referenced in large databases of fMRI activation studies; and (2 relationship of the RSNs with the Brodmann Areas. In both classifications, the 32 RSNs are organized into a remarkable architecture of two intertwined rings per hemisphere and so four rings linked by homotopic connections. The first ring forms a continuous ensemble and includes visual, somatic, and auditory cortices, with interspersed bimodal cortices (auditory-visual, visual-somatic and auditory-somatic, abbreviated as VSA ring. The second ring integrates distant parietal, temporal and frontal regions (PTF ring through a network of association fiber tracts which closes the ring anatomically and ensures a functional continuity within the ring. The PTF ring relates association cortices specialized in attention, language and working memory, to the networks involved in motivation and biological regulation and rhythms. This "dual intertwined architecture" suggests a dual integrative process: the VSA ring performs fast real-time multimodal integration of sensorimotor information whereas the PTF ring performs multi

Resting State Networks' Corticotopy: The Dual Intertwined Rings Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Mesmoudi, Salma; Perlbarg, Vincent; Rudrauf, David; Messe, Arnaud; Pinsard, Basile; Hasboun, Dominique; Cioli, Claudia; Marrelec, Guillaume; Toro, Roberto; Benali, Habib; Burnod, Yves

2013-01-01

How does the brain integrate multiple sources of information to support normal sensorimotor and cognitive functions? To investigate this question we present an overall brain architecture (called “the dual intertwined rings architecture”) that relates the functional specialization of cortical networks to their spatial distribution over the cerebral cortex (or “corticotopy”). Recent results suggest that the resting state networks (RSNs) are organized into two large families: 1) a sensorimotor family that includes visual, somatic, and auditory areas and 2) a large association family that comprises parietal, temporal, and frontal regions and also includes the default mode network. We used two large databases of resting state fMRI data, from which we extracted 32 robust RSNs. We estimated: (1) the RSN functional roles by using a projection of the results on task based networks (TBNs) as referenced in large databases of fMRI activation studies; and (2) relationship of the RSNs with the Brodmann Areas. In both classifications, the 32 RSNs are organized into a remarkable architecture of two intertwined rings per hemisphere and so four rings linked by homotopic connections. The first ring forms a continuous ensemble and includes visual, somatic, and auditory cortices, with interspersed bimodal cortices (auditory-visual, visual-somatic and auditory-somatic, abbreviated as VSA ring). The second ring integrates distant parietal, temporal and frontal regions (PTF ring) through a network of association fiber tracts which closes the ring anatomically and ensures a functional continuity within the ring. The PTF ring relates association cortices specialized in attention, language and working memory, to the networks involved in motivation and biological regulation and rhythms. This “dual intertwined architecture” suggests a dual integrative process: the VSA ring performs fast real-time multimodal integration of sensorimotor information whereas the PTF ring performs multi

Pattern of somatic symptoms in anxiety and depression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, M.

2011-01-01

To determine the pattern of somatic symptoms in anxiety and depressive disorders. Design: Cross Sectional Comparative study Place of Study: Department of Psychiatry Military Hospital Rawalpindi. Duration of Study: From May to November 2002. Patients and Methods: Patients were divided in Group I of anxiety and group II of depression. Fifty patients considered in each group by convenience sampling. The organic basis of their symptoms was ruled out. The patterns of their somatic symptoms and other information like educational and economic status were recorded on Semi Structured Proforma. The patient's diagnosis was made on schedule based ICD-10 research criteria. The severity of anxiety and depression was assessed by using HARS and HDRS respectively. The pattern of somatic symptoms in both groups was then analyzed by the urdu version of Bradford Somatic Inventory. Patterns of somatic complaints were then analyzed by chi square test. Results: Out of 100 patients we placed 50 each in group I (anxiety) and group II (Depression). Males were higher in depression whereas females were higher in anxiety disorder group. P-value for headache was 0.017 while in rest of the somatic symptoms it was insignificant ranging from 0.4 to 1. Conclusion: We found that the patterns of somatic symptoms are present in both the groups of anxiety and depression like symptoms related to musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal system were commonly observed in cases of depression whereas symptoms related to autonomic nervous system and cardiovascular system is more significantly somatized in patients of anxiety. A larger sample is required for further studies to get better results. (author)

Weed Growth Stage Estimator Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks.

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Teimouri, Nima; Dyrmann, Mads; Nielsen, Per Rydahl; Mathiassen, Solvejg Kopp; Somerville, Gayle J; Jørgensen, Rasmus Nyholm

2018-05-16

This study outlines a new method of automatically estimating weed species and growth stages (from cotyledon until eight leaves are visible) of in situ images covering 18 weed species or families. Images of weeds growing within a variety of crops were gathered across variable environmental conditions with regards to soil types, resolution and light settings. Then, 9649 of these images were used for training the computer, which automatically divided the weeds into nine growth classes. The performance of this proposed convolutional neural network approach was evaluated on a further set of 2516 images, which also varied in term of crop, soil type, image resolution and light conditions. The overall performance of this approach achieved a maximum accuracy of 78% for identifying Polygonum spp. and a minimum accuracy of 46% for blackgrass. In addition, it achieved an average 70% accuracy rate in estimating the number of leaves and 96% accuracy when accepting a deviation of two leaves. These results show that this new method of using deep convolutional neural networks has a relatively high ability to estimate early growth stages across a wide variety of weed species.

Evaluation of Nine Somatic Variant Callers for Detection of Somatic Mutations in Exome and Targeted Deep Sequencing Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krøigård, Anne Bruun; Thomassen, Mads; Lænkholm, Anne Vibeke

2016-01-01

a comprehensive evaluation using exome sequencing and targeted deep sequencing data of paired tumor-normal samples from five breast cancer patients to evaluate the performance of nine publicly available somatic variant callers: EBCall, Mutect, Seurat, Shimmer, Indelocator, Somatic Sniper, Strelka, VarScan 2...

Action selection in growing state spaces: control of network structure growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thalmeier, Dominik; Kappen, Hilbert J; Gómez, Vicenç

2017-01-01

The dynamical processes taking place on a network depend on its topology. Influencing the growth process of a network therefore has important implications on such dynamical processes. We formulate the problem of influencing the growth of a network as a stochastic optimal control problem in which a structural cost function penalizes undesired topologies. We approximate this control problem with a restricted class of control problems that can be solved using probabilistic inference methods. To deal with the increasing problem dimensionality, we introduce an adaptive importance sampling method for approximating the optimal control. We illustrate this methodology in the context of formation of information cascades, considering the task of influencing the structure of a growing conversation thread, as in Internet forums. Using a realistic model of growing trees, we show that our approach can yield conversation threads with better structural properties than the ones observed without control. (paper)

Identification and characterization of bZIP-type transcription factors involved in carrot (Daucus carota L.) somatic embryogenesis.

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Guan, Yucheng; Ren, Haibo; Xie, He; Ma, Zeyang; Chen, Fan

2009-10-01

Seed dormancy is an important adaptive trait that enables seeds of many species to remain quiescent until conditions become favorable for germination. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in these developmental processes. Like dormancy and germination, the elongation of carrot somatic embryo radicles is retarded by sucrose concentrations at or above 6%, and normal growth resumes at sucrose concentrations below 3%. Using a yeast one-hybrid screening system, we isolated two bZIP-type transcription factors, CAREB1 and CAREB2, from a cDNA library prepared from carrot somatic embryos cultured in a high-sucrose medium. Both CAREB1 and CAREB2 were localized to the nucleus, and specifically bound to the ABA response element (ABRE) in the Dc3 promoter. Expression of CAREB2 was induced in seedlings by drought and exogenous ABA application; whereas expression of CAREB1 increased during late embryogenesis, and reduced dramatically when somatic embryos were treated with fluridone, an inhibitor of ABA synthesis. Overexpression of CAREB1 caused somatic embryos to develop slowly when cultured in low-sucrose medium, and retarded the elongation of the radicles. These results indicate that CAREB1 and CAREB2 have similar DNA-binding activities, but play different roles during carrot development. Our results indicate that CAREB1 functions as an important trans-acting factor in the ABA signal transduction pathway during carrot somatic embryogenesis.

Somatic embryogenesis in cassava: A tool for mutation breeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, K.S.; Duren, M. Van; Morpurgo, R.

1997-01-01

Cassava is an important food and livestock feed crop. The effect of gamma radiation on somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in cassava clones of African origin was investigated. Explants from young leaves of cassava were cultured on MS medium, supplemented with 18.1 mM 2,4-D and 2 mM CuSO4, solidified with 0.3% Phytagel. Compact and friable calli were observed after 10-15 days of explant culture in dark, which produced somatic embryos in all but one clone. The somatic embryos showed morphological aberrations, such as fused cotyledons, lack of meristematic tip, epicotyl elongation, and had low germination rate; desiccation of embryos increased germination. Histological study showed that the somatic embryos were of multicellular origin. Leaf explants were irradiated with doses between 4 to 38 Gy of gamma rays, and cultured on somatic embryo induction medium. In addition, somatic embryos were irradiated with gamma ray doses from 10 to 18 Gy, and analyzed for germination. LD 50 for embryogenic response of leaf-explants was at around 20 Gy, while that for somatic embryo germination was ca. 10 Gy. (author). 7 refs, 2 tabs

Somatic embryogenesis in cassava: A tool for mutation breeding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, K S; Duren, M Van; Morpurgo, R [Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory, International Atomic Energy Agency, Seibersdorf (Austria)

1997-07-01

Cassava is an important food and livestock feed crop. The effect of gamma radiation on somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in cassava clones of African origin was investigated. Explants from young leaves of cassava were cultured on MS medium, supplemented with 18.1 mM 2,4-D and 2 mM CuSO4, solidified with 0.3% Phytagel. Compact and friable calli were observed after 10-15 days of explant culture in dark, which produced somatic embryos in all but one clone. The somatic embryos showed morphological aberrations, such as fused cotyledons, lack of meristematic tip, epicotyl elongation, and had low germination rate; desiccation of embryos increased germination. Histological study showed that the somatic embryos were of multicellular origin. Leaf explants were irradiated with doses between 4 to 38 Gy of gamma rays, and cultured on somatic embryo induction medium. In addition, somatic embryos were irradiated with gamma ray doses from 10 to 18 Gy, and analyzed for germination. LD{sub 50} for embryogenic response of leaf-explants was at around 20 Gy, while that for somatic embryo germination was ca. 10 Gy. (author). 7 refs, 2 tabs.

Somatic Symptom Disorder in Semantic Dementia: The Role of Alexisomia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Joanna J; Lin, Andrew; Samimi, Mersal S; Mendez, Mario F

Semantic dementia (SD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of semantic knowledge. SD may be associated with somatic symptom disorder due to excessive preoccupation with unidentified somatic sensations. To evaluate the frequency of somatic symptom disorder among patients with SD in comparison to comparably demented patients with Alzheimer׳s disease. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using clinical data from a referral-based behavioral neurology program. Fifty-three patients with SD meeting criteria for imaging-supported semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (another term for SD) were compared with 125 patients with clinically probable Alzheimer disease. Logistic regression controlled for sex, age, disease duration, education, overall cognitive impairment, and depression. The prevalence of somatic symptom disorder was significantly higher among patients with SD (41.5%) compared to patients with Alzheimer disease (11.2%) (odds ratio = 6:1; p Cotard syndrome or the delusion that unidentified somatic symptoms signify death or deterioration. SD, a disorder of semantic knowledge, is associated with somatic symptom disorder from impaired identification of somatic sensations. Their inability to read and name somatic sensations, or "alexisomia," results in disproportionate and persistent concern about somatic sensations with consequent significant disability. Copyright © 2016 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of copper and arsenic stress on the development of Norway spruce somatic embryos and their visualization with the environmental scanning electron microscope.

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Đorđević, Biljana; Neděla, Vilém; Tihlaříková, Eva; Trojan, Václav; Havel, Ladislav

2018-05-18

Somatic embryogenesis is an important biotechnological technique which can be used in studies associated with environmental stress. Four embryogenic cell lines of Norway spruce were grown on media enriched with copper and arsenic in concentration ranges 50-500 μM and 10-50 μM, respectively. The effects were observed during subsequent stages of somatic embryogenesis, the characteristics evaluated being proliferation potential, average number of somatic embryos obtained per g/fresh weight, morphology of developed somatic embryos, metal uptake, and microanalysis of macro- and micronutrients uptake. Copper and arsenic at higher concentrations significantly reduced the growth of early somatic embryos. In almost all treatments, the cell line V-1-3 showed the best performance compared with the other lines tested. Environmental scanning electron microscopy was used to visualize and identify morphological abnormalities in the development of somatic embryos. Abnormalities observed were classified into several categories: meristemless somatic embryos, somatic embryos with disrupted meristem, reduced number of cotyledons, single cotyledon and fused cotyledons. With the application of a low temperature method for the environmental scanning electron microscope, samples were stabilized and whole meristems could be investigated in their native state. As far as we are aware, this is the first report of the effect of copper and arsenic during the process of somatic embryogenesis and the first to evaluate the content of macro and micronutrients uptake in Norway spruce. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Somatic embryogenesis, scanning electron microscopy, histology and biochemical analysis at different developing stages of embryogenesis in six date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars.

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Aslam, Junaid; Khan, Saeed Ahmad; Cheruth, Abdul Jaleel; Mujib, Abdul; Sharma, Maheshwar Pershad; Srivastava, Prem Shanker

2011-10-01

An efficient somatic embryogenesis system has been established in six date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars (Barhee, Zardai, Khalasah, Muzati, Shishi and Zart). Somatic embryogenesis (SE) was growth regulators and cultivars dependent. Friable embryogenic callus was induced from excised shoot tips on MS medium supplemented with various auxins particularly 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, 1.5 mg 1(-l)). Suspension culture increased embryogenesis potentiality. Only a-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA, 0.5 mg 1(-1)) produced somatic embryos in culture. Somatic embryos germinated and converted into plantlets in N(6)-benzyladenine (BAP, 0.75 mg 1(-l)) added medium following a treatment with thidiazuron (TDZ, 1.0 mg 1(-l)) for maturation. Scanning electron microscopy showed early stages of somatic embryo particularly, globular types, and was in masses. Different developing stages of embryogenesis (heart, torpedo and cotyledonary) were observed under histological preparation of embryogenic callus. Biochemical screening at various stages of somatic embryogenesis (embryogenic callus, somatic embryos, matured, germinated embryos and converted plantlets) of date palm cultivars has been conducted and discussed in detail. The result discussed in this paper indicates that somatic embryos were produced in numbers and converted plantlets can be used as a good source of alternative propagation. Genetic modification to the embryo precursor cell may improve the fruit quality and yield further.

Determining bank effects on economic growth: An artificial neural network analysis

OpenAIRE

Alex Senajon

2016-01-01

This study characterized the influence of the banking industry’s influence on the growth of the economy. A neural network using the Multilayer Perception was used to define functions of Universal Bank, Cooperative Bank, and Thrift Bank as predictors of Gross Domestic Product growth. Using data series from 2003- 2013, it was found that Universal banks have been growing tremendously taking huge shares of growth compared to the other two bank types. Meantime, the Gross Domestic Product was fo...

Growth hormone therapy and craniofacial bones: a comprehensive review.

Science.gov (United States)

Litsas, G

2013-09-01

Growth hormone (GH) has significant effects on linear bone growth, bone mass and bone metabolism. The primary role of GH supplementation in children with GH deficiency, those born small for gestational age or with other types of disorders in somatic development is to increase linear growth. However, GH therapy seems to elicit varying responses in the craniofacial region. Whereas the effects of GH administration on somatic development are well documented, comparatively little is known of its effects on the craniofacial region. The purpose of this review was to search the literature and compile results from both animal and human studies related to the impact of GH on craniofacial growth. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sulphur depletion altered somatic embryogenesis in Theobroma ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Somatic embryogenesis is a useful tool for Theobroma cacao improvement and propagation. Depending on culture medium composition, different morphogenetic structures (including somatic embryo) occur in response to alteration of genes expression patterns and biochemical changes. The effect of SO42- ion deficiency ...

Weed Growth Stage Estimator Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teimouri, Nima; Dyrmann, Mads; Nielsen, Per Rydahl

2018-01-01

This study outlines a new method of automatically estimating weed species and growth stages (from cotyledon until eight leaves are visible) of in situ images covering 18 weed species or families. Images of weeds growing within a variety of crops were gathered across variable environmental conditi...... in estimating the number of leaves and 96% accuracy when accepting a deviation of two leaves. These results show that this new method of using deep convolutional neural networks has a relatively high ability to estimate early growth stages across a wide variety of weed species....

Hepatocyte growth factor/c-MET axis-mediated tropism of cord blood-derived unrestricted somatic stem cells for neuronal injury.

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Trapp, Thorsten; Kögler, Gesine; El-Khattouti, Abdelouahid; Sorg, Rüdiger V; Besselmann, Michael; Föcking, Melanie; Bührle, Christian P; Trompeter, Ingo; Fischer, Johannes C; Wernet, Peter

2008-11-21

An under-agarose chemotaxis assay was used to investigate whether unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSC) that were recently characterized in human cord blood are attracted by neuronal injury in vitro. USSC migrated toward extracts of post-ischemic brain tissue of mice in which stroke had been induced. Moreover, apoptotic neurons secrete factors that strongly attracted USSC, whereas necrotic and healthy neurons did not. Investigating the expression of growth factors and chemokines in lesioned brain tissue and neurons and of their respective receptors in USSC revealed expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in post-ischemic brain and in apoptotic but not in necrotic neurons and of the HGF receptor c-MET in USSC. Neuronal lesion-triggered migration was observed in vitro and in vivo only when c-MET was expressed at a high level in USSC. Neutralization of the bioactivity of HGF with an antibody inhibited migration of USSC toward neuronal injury. This, together with the finding that human recombinant HGF attracts USSC, document that HGF signaling is necessary for the tropism of USSC for neuronal injury. Our data demonstrate that USSC have the capacity to migrate toward apoptotic neurons and injured brain. Together with their neural differentiation potential, this suggests a neuroregenerative potential of USSC. Moreover, we provide evidence for a hitherto unrecognized pivotal role of the HGF/c-MET axis in guiding stem cells toward brain injury, which may partly account for the capability of HGF to improve function in the diseased central nervous system.

Micropropagation of Codiaeum variegatum (L.) Blume and regeneration induction via adventitious buds and somatic embryogenesis.

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Radice, Silvia

2010-01-01

Codiaeum variegatum (L) Blume cv. "Corazon de oro" and cv. "Norma" are successfully micropropagated when culture are initiated with explants taken from newly sprouted shoots. The establishment and multiplication steps are possible when 1 mg/L BA or 1 mg/L IAA and 3 mg/L 2iP are added to MS medium, according to the cultivar respectively selected.Adventive organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis are induced from leaf explants taken from in vitro buds of croton. On leaf-sectioned of "Corazon de oro" cultured in vitro, 1 mg/L BA stimulates continuous somatic embryos development and induces some shoots too. Replacing BA with 1 mg/L TDZ induces up to 100% bud regeneration in the same explants. On the other hand, leaf-sectioned of C. variegatum cv. Norma does not start somatic embryo differentiation if 1 mg/L TDZ is not added to the MS basal medium. Incipient callus is observed after 30 days of culture, and then, subculture to MS with 1 mg/L BA allows the same process to show on the "Corazon de oro" cultivar. Somatic embryos show growth arrest that is partially overcome by transfer to hormone-free basal medium with activated charcoal. Root induction is possible on basal medium plus 1 mg/L IBA. Plantlets in the greenhouse have variegated leaves true-to-type.

Characteristics of somatic tinnitus patients with and without hyperacusis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massimo Ralli

Full Text Available Determine if somatic tinnitus patients with hyperacusis have different characteristics from those without hyperacusis.172 somatic tinnitus patients with (n = 82 and without (n = 90 hyperacusis referred to the Tinnitus Unit of Sapienza University of Rome between June 2012 and June 2016 were compared for demographic characteristics, tinnitus features, self-administered questionnaire scores, nature of somatic modulation and history.Compared to those without hyperacusis, patients with somatic tinnitus and hyperacusis: (a were older (43.38 vs 39.12 years, p = 0.05, (b were more likely to have bilateral tinnitus (67.08% vs 55.56%, p = 0.04, (c had a higher prevalence of somatic modulation of tinnitus (53.65% vs 36.66%, p = 0.02 and (d scored significantly worse on tinnitus annoyance (39.34 vs 22.81, p<0.001 and subjective hearing level (8.04 vs 1.83, p<0.001.Our study shows significantly higher tinnitus modulation and worse self-rating of tinnitus and hearing ability in somatic tinnitus patients with hyperacusis versus somatic tinnitus patients without hyperacusis. These differences could prove useful in developing a better understanding of the pathophysiology and establishing a course of treatment for these two groups of patients.

Studies on Somatic Embryogenesis in Sweetpotato

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Bennett, J. Rasheed; Prakash, C. S.

1997-01-01

The purpose of this study was to improve the somatic embryo (SE) system for plant production of sweetpotato Ipomoea batatas L.(Lam)l. Explants isolated from SE-derived sweet potato plants were compared with control (non SE-derived) plants for their competency for SE production. Leaf explants were cultured on Murashige-Skoog (MS) medium with 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (0.2 mg/L) and 6-benzylaminopurine (2.5 mg/L) for 2 weeks in darkness and transferred to MS medium with abscisic acid (2.5 Explants isolated from those plants developed through somatic embryo-genesis produced new somatic embryos rapidly and in higher frequency than those isolated from control plants. They also appeared to grow faster in tissue culture than the control plants. Current studies in the laboratory are examining whether plants derived from a cyclical embryogenesis system (five cycles) would have any further positive impact on the rapidity and frequency of somatic embryo development. More detailed studies using electron microscopy are expected to show the point of origin of the embryos and to allow determination of their quality throughout the cyclical process. This study may facilitate improved plant micropropagation, gene transfer and germplasm conservation in sweet potato.

Hypochondriacal concerns and somatization in panic disorder.

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Furer, P; Walker, J R; Chartier, M J; Stein, M B

1997-01-01

To clarify the relationship between panic disorder and the symptoms of hypochondriasis and somatization, we evaluated these symptoms and diagnoses in patients attending an Anxiety Disorders Clinic. Structured clinical interviews, self-report measures, and symptom diaries were used to assess 21 patients with panic disorder, 23 patients with social phobia, and 22 control subjects with no psychiatric disorders. Ten of the patients with panic disorder (48%) also met DSM-IV criteria for hypochondriasis, whereas only one of the patients with social phobia and none of the healthy control subjects met the criteria for this diagnosis. None of the participants met DSM-IV criteria for somatization disorder, even though both anxiety groups reported high levels of somatic symptoms. The panic disorder group reported higher levels of fear about illness and disease conviction and endorsed more somatic symptoms than did the other groups. A higher proportion of panic disorder patients reported previously diagnosed medical conditions (48%) as compared with patients with social phobia (17%) or healthy control subjects (14%). The panic disorder patients with DSM-IV hypochondriasis obtained higher scores on measures of hypochondriacal concerns, somatization, blood-injury phobia, and general anxiety and distress than did the panic disorder patients without hypochondriasis. The results suggest a strong association between panic disorder and hypochondriasis.

Cryopreservation of Arachis pintoi (leguminosae) somatic embryos.

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Rey, H Y; Faloci, M; Medina, R; Dolce, N; Engelmann, F; Mroginski, L

2013-01-01

In this study, we successfully cryopreserved cotyledonary somatic embryos of diploid and triploid Arachis pintoi cytotypes using the encapsulation-dehydration technique. The highest survival rates were obtained when somatic embryos were encapsulated in calcium alginate beads and precultured in agitated (80 rpm) liquid establishment medium (EM) with daily increasing sucrose concentration (0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 M). The encapsulated somatic embryos were then dehydrated with silica gel for 5 h to 20% moisture content (fresh weight basis) and cooled either rapidly (direct immersion in liquid nitrogen, LN) or slowly (1 degree C per min from 25 degree C to -30 degree C followed by immersion in LN). Beads were kept in LN for a minimum of 1 h and then were rapidly rewarmed in a 30 degree C water-bath for 2 min. Finally, encapsulated somatic embryos were post-cultured in agitated (80 rpm) liquid EM with daily decreasing sucrose concentration (0.75 and 0.5 M) and transferred to solidified EM. Using this protocol, we obtained 26% and 30% plant regeneration from cryopreserved somatic embryos of diploid and triploid cytotypes. No morphological abnormalities were observed in any of the plants regenerated from cryopreserved embryos and their genetic stability was confirmed with 10 isozyme systems and nine RAPD profiles.

Mortality in unipolar depression preceding and following chronic somatic diseases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koyanagi, A; Köhler-Forsberg, O; Benros, M E

2018-01-01

-varying covariates were constructed to assess the risk for all-cause and non-suicide deaths for individual somatic diseases. RESULTS: For all somatic diseases, prior and/or subsequent depression conferred a significantly higher mortality risk. Prior depression was significantly associated with a higher mortality......OBJECTIVE: It is largely unknown how depression prior to and following somatic diseases affects mortality. Thus, we examined how the temporal order of depression and somatic diseases affects mortality risk. METHOD: Data were from a Danish population-based cohort from 1995 to 2013, which included...... all residents in Denmark during the study period (N = 4 984 912). Nineteen severe chronic somatic disorders from the Charlson Comorbidity Index were assessed. The date of first diagnosis of depression and somatic diseases was identified. Multivariable Cox proportional Hazard models with time...

Recent advancements in cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogura, Atsuo; Inoue, Kimiko; Wakayama, Teruhiko

2013-01-05

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) cloning is the sole reproductive engineering technology that endows the somatic cell genome with totipotency. Since the first report on the birth of a cloned sheep from adult somatic cells in 1997, many technical improvements in SCNT have been made by using different epigenetic approaches, including enhancement of the levels of histone acetylation in the chromatin of the reconstructed embryos. Although it will take a considerable time before we fully understand the nature of genomic programming and totipotency, we may expect that somatic cell cloning technology will soon become broadly applicable to practical purposes, including medicine, pharmaceutical manufacturing and agriculture. Here we review recent progress in somatic cell cloning, with a special emphasis on epigenetic studies using the laboratory mouse as a model.

Recent advancements in cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Ogura, Atsuo; Inoue, Kimiko; Wakayama, Teruhiko

2013-01-01

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) cloning is the sole reproductive engineering technology that endows the somatic cell genome with totipotency. Since the first report on the birth of a cloned sheep from adult somatic cells in 1997, many technical improvements in SCNT have been made by using different epigenetic approaches, including enhancement of the levels of histone acetylation in the chromatin of the reconstructed embryos. Although it will take a considerable time before we fully understand the nature of genomic programming and totipotency, we may expect that somatic cell cloning technology will soon become broadly applicable to practical purposes, including medicine, pharmaceutical manufacturing and agriculture. Here we review recent progress in somatic cell cloning, with a special emphasis on epigenetic studies using the laboratory mouse as a model. PMID:23166393

Masked depression: its interrelations with somatization, hypochondriasis and conversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisch, R Z

1987-01-01

Masked depression appears to be a common clinical phenomenon. Most depressions present with some somatic complaints in addition to affective and cognitive ones. About one half of all depressions seen by primary care physicians initially present predominantly or exclusively with somatic symptoms. Many of these depressions are not recognized or are misdiagnosed and mistreated. The possible reasons for this are discussed here. The phenomenon of somatization in depressions and other conditions is reviewed and the interface with other related clinical problems like hypochondriasis and conversion is delineated. It is hypothesized that the proportion of depressions that are masked is positively correlated to the patients' tendency to somatize and negatively correlated to the doctors' ability to recognize depressions that hide behind somatic complaints. Suggestions for the diagnosis and treatment of masked depressions are given.

Residues in the analyst of the patient's symbiotic connection at a somatic level: unrepresented states in the patient and analyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Godsil, Geraldine

2018-02-01

This paper discusses the residues of a somatic countertransference that revealed its meaning several years after apparently successful analytic work had ended. Psychoanalytic and Jungian analytic ideas on primitive communication, dissociation and enactment are explored in the working through of a shared respiratory symptom between patient and analyst. Growth in the analyst was necessary so that the patient's communication at a somatic level could be understood. Bleger's concept that both the patient's and analyst's body are part of the setting was central in the working through. © 2018, The Society of Analytical Psychology.

Optimization of somatic embryogenesis procedure for commercial ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The first objective of this study was to assess and optimize somatic embryo production in a genetically diverse range of cacao genotypes. The primary and secondary somatic embryogenesis response of eight promising cacao clones and a positive control was evaluated using modified versions of standard protocols.

Bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Pablo J; Cibelli, Jose B

2010-01-01

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a technique by which the nucleus of a differentiated cell is introduced into an oocyte from which its genetic material has been removed by a process called enucleation. In mammals, the reconstructed embryo is artificially induced to initiate embryonic development (activation). The oocyte turns the somatic cell nucleus into an embryonic nucleus. This process is called nuclear reprogramming and involves an important change of cell fate, by which the somatic cell nucleus becomes capable of generating all the cell types required for the formation of a new individual, including extraembryonic tissues. Therefore, after transfer of a cloned embryo to a surrogate mother, an offspring genetically identical to the animal from which the somatic cells where isolated, is born. Cloning by nuclear transfer has potential applications in agriculture and biomedicine, but is limited by low efficiency. Cattle were the second mammalian species to be cloned after Dolly the sheep, and it is probably the most widely used species for SCNT experiments. This is, in part due to the high availability of bovine oocytes and the relatively higher efficiency levels usually obtained in cattle. Given the wide utilization of this species for cloning, several alternatives to this basic protocol can be found in the literature. Here we describe a basic protocol for bovine SCNT currently being used in our laboratory, which is amenable for the use of the nuclear transplantation technique for research or commercial purposes.

Development of somatic embryos for genetic transformation in Curcuma longa L. and Curcuma mangga Valeton & Zijp

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Vachiraporn Pikulthong

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Buds from rhizomes of Curcuma longa L. variety ‘Chumphon’ and Curcuma mangga Valeton & Zijp variety ‘Phetchaburi’ were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/L N6-benzyladenine (BA for multiple shoot induction. Their shoots were cultured on MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of one of two plant growth regulators or a combination of both—2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA. Interestingly, the medium containing both auxins (5 mg/L 2,4-D and 5 mg/L NAA was best for somatic embryo induction after culturing for 4 weeks. Somatic embryo formation reached 87.50% for Curcuma longa and 95.83% for Curcuma mangga with a high quality of loose, friable and yellowish characters. The best conditions for the formation of shootlets occurred after transferring the somatic embryo to MS medium supplemented with 3.0 mg/L BA, 0.5 mg/L NAA and 3% maltose. The shootlets were rooted by transferring to MS medium containing 3.0 mg/L NAA. This is the first report of a complete in vitro regeneration system from somatic embryos of C. longa and C. mangga which was further used for gene manipulation in these plants. Diketide CoA synthase (DCS and curcumin synthase (CURS genes, which are the two genes involved in curcuminoid biosynthesis in turmeric, were cloned and transferred to these two species using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The presence of both target and marker genes, hpt, in the transformed somatic embryos was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction assay. After culturing, the transformed somatic embryos could survive for 4 weeks.

Considerations upon Testing the Children’s Somatic Development, Using the Computer

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Carla Amira Karnyanszky

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to analyze the ways of the children’s somatic-physical development. Two methods were evaluated: the comparison between the measured dimensions and the medium values, obtained from the specialized literature, and the one between the calculus of the proportionality rates and the medium rates for the population. Furthermore, this paper is based on a computer program that stores the history of children’s growth, available for use in surveys on large communities (school, medical center, sport selection.

Somatic delusions and obsessive-compulsive disorder in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The patient was later referred to the psychiatry department of the same hospital and diagnosed with schizophrenia with somatic delusions and OCS according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria. He was screened for schizophrenia, OCS and olfactory and somatic delusions by ...

Growth patterns in children with intrauterine growth retardation and their correlation to neurocognitive development.

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Fattal-Valevski, Aviva; Toledano-Alhadef, Hagit; Leitner, Yael; Geva, Ronny; Eshel, Rina; Harel, Shaul

2009-07-01

The relationship between somatic growth and neurocognitive outcome was studied in a cohort of 136 children with intrauterine growth retardation. The children were followed up from birth to 9 to 10 years of age by annual measurements of growth parameters, neurodevelopmental evaluations, and IQ. The rate of catch-up for height between 1 and 2 years of age was significantly higher than the catch-up for weight (P importance for prediction of subsequent neurodevelopmental outcome in children with intrauterine growth retardation.

Growth dynamics explain the development of spatiotemporal burst activity of young cultured neuronal networks in detail.

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Taras A Gritsun

Full Text Available A typical property of isolated cultured neuronal networks of dissociated rat cortical cells is synchronized spiking, called bursting, starting about one week after plating, when the dissociated cells have sufficiently sent out their neurites and formed enough synaptic connections. This paper is the third in a series of three on simulation models of cultured networks. Our two previous studies [26], [27] have shown that random recurrent network activity models generate intra- and inter-bursting patterns similar to experimental data. The networks were noise or pacemaker-driven and had Izhikevich-neuronal elements with only short-term plastic (STP synapses (so, no long-term potentiation, LTP, or depression, LTD, was included. However, elevated pre-phases (burst leaders and after-phases of burst main shapes, that usually arise during the development of the network, were not yet simulated in sufficient detail. This lack of detail may be due to the fact that the random models completely missed network topology .and a growth model. Therefore, the present paper adds, for the first time, a growth model to the activity model, to give the network a time dependent topology and to explain burst shapes in more detail. Again, without LTP or LTD mechanisms. The integrated growth-activity model yielded realistic bursting patterns. The automatic adjustment of various mutually interdependent network parameters is one of the major advantages of our current approach. Spatio-temporal bursting activity was validated against experiment. Depending on network size, wave reverberation mechanisms were seen along the network boundaries, which may explain the generation of phases of elevated firing before and after the main phase of the burst shape.In summary, the results show that adding topology and growth explain burst shapes in great detail and suggest that young networks still lack/do not need LTP or LTD mechanisms.

Body image and self-esteem in somatizing patients.

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Sertoz, Ozen O; Doganavsargil, Ozge; Elbi, Hayriye

2009-08-01

The aim of the present study was to determine dissatisfaction with body appearance and bodily functions and to assess self-esteem in somatizing patients. Body image and self-esteem were investigated in 128 women; 34 of those had diagnosed somatoform disorders, 50 were breast cancer patients with total mastectomy surgery alone, and 44 were healthy subjects. Body image and self-esteem were assessed using the Body Cathexis Scale and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The two clinical groups did not differ from one another (z = -1.832, P = 0.067), but differed from healthy controls in terms of body image (somatizing patients vs healthy controls, z = -3.628, P self-esteem (z = -0.936, P = 0.349) when depressive symptoms were controlled. No statistically significant difference was observed between total mastectomy patients and healthy controls in terms of self-esteem (z = -1.727, P = 0.084). The lower levels of self-esteem in somatizing patients were largely mediated by depressive symptoms. Depressed and non-depressed somatizing patients differed significantly from healthy controls with respect to their self-esteem and body image. Somatizing patients who were dissatisfied with their bodily functions and appearance had lower levels of self-esteem and high comorbidity of depression. In clinical practice it is suggested that clinicians should take into account psychiatric comorbidity, self-esteem, and body image in somatizing patients when planning treatment approaches.

Somatic Embryogenesis: Still a Relevant Technique in Citrus Improvement.

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Omar, Ahmad A; Dutt, Manjul; Gmitter, Frederick G; Grosser, Jude W

2016-01-01

The genus Citrus contains numerous fresh and processed fruit cultivars that are economically important worldwide. New cultivars are needed to battle industry threatening diseases and to create new marketing opportunities. Citrus improvement by conventional methods alone has many limitations that can be overcome by applications of emerging biotechnologies, generally requiring cell to plant regeneration. Many citrus genotypes are amenable to somatic embryogenesis, which became a key regeneration pathway in many experimental approaches to cultivar improvement. This chapter provides a brief history of plant somatic embryogenesis with focus on citrus, followed by a discussion of proven applications in biotechnology-facilitated citrus improvement techniques, such as somatic hybridization, somatic cybridization, genetic transformation, and the exploitation of somaclonal variation. Finally, two important new protocols that feature plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis are provided: protoplast transformation and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of embryogenic cell suspension cultures.

[Reference curves for assessing the physical growth of male Wistar rats].

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Cossio-Bolaños, Marco; Gómez Campos, Rossana; Vargas Vitoria, Rodrigo; Hochmuller Fogaça, Rosalvo Tadeu; de Arruda, Miguel

2013-11-01

Wistar rats are one of the most popular strains routinely used for research in the laboratory to serve as an important research tool, so it requires strict control of variables such as age, sex and body weight, and Thus to extrapolate the results to the human model. To develop reference curves for assessing the physical growth of male Wistar rats according to chronological age and somatic maturation from a non-invasive. The subjects studied were 731 male Wistar rats transversely. We assessed age, body weight and body surface. LMS method was used to construct percentile curves based on weight and somatic maturation. The proposed physical growth curves are used to track the physical growth and nutritional status diagnosis of male Wistar rats. Budgets by cutting points are: P3, P10, P25, P50, P75, P90 and P97. The results suggest that scientists from different areas can use such references, in order to extrapolate somatic growth phases of the laboratory rat and the human model is a non-invasive alternative to assess growth and nutritional status. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

The visceromotor and somatic afferent nerves of the penis.

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Diallo, Djibril; Zaitouna, Mazen; Alsaid, Bayan; Quillard, Jeanine; Ba, Nathalie; Allodji, Rodrigue Sètchéou; Benoit, Gérard; Bedretdinova, Dina; Bessede, Thomas

2015-05-01

Innervation of the penis supports erectile and sensory functions. This article aims to study the efferent autonomic (visceromotor) and afferent somatic (sensory) nervous systems of the penis and to investigate how these systems relate to vascular pathways. Penises obtained from five adult cadavers were studied via computer-assisted anatomic dissection (CAAD). The number of autonomic and somatic nerve fibers was compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Proximally, penile innervation was mainly somatic in the extra-albugineal sector and mainly autonomic in the intracavernosal sector. Distally, both sectors were almost exclusively supplied by somatic nerve fibers, except the intrapenile vascular anastomoses that accompanied both somatic and autonomic (nitrergic) fibers. From this point, the neural immunolabeling within perivascular nerve fibers was mixed (somatic labeling and autonomic labeling). Accessory afferent, extra-albugineal pathways supplied the outer layers of the penis. There is a major change in the functional type of innervation between the proximal and distal parts of the intracavernosal sector of the penis. In addition to the pelvis and the hilum of the penis, the intrapenile neurovascular routes are the third level where the efferent autonomic (visceromotor) and the afferent somatic (sensory) penile nerve fibers are close. Intrapenile neurovascular pathways define a proximal penile segment, which guarantees erectile rigidity, and a sensory distal segment. © 2015 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Anxiety, depression, and somatization in DSM-III hypochondriasis.

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Kellner, R; Abbott, P; Winslow, W W; Pathak, D

1989-01-01

To assess the severity of distress and of somatization in hypochondriasis, the authors administered several validated self-rating scales of depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, and anger/hostility to 21 psychiatric outpatients with the DSM-III diagnosis of hypochondriasis and to matched groups of other nonpsychotic psychiatric patients, family practice patients, and employees. Anxiety and somatic symptoms were highest in hypochondriacal patients; depression and anger/hostility did not differ from those of other psychiatric patients but were higher than in the other groups. The findings do not support the theory that hypochondriasis is a defense against anxiety or that it is a masked depression or depressive equivalent. The findings are consistent with the view that the interaction of severe anxiety and severe somatic symptoms is a common feature of the psychopathology of hypochondriasis.

Identification of Top-ranked Proteins within a Directional Protein Interaction Network using the PageRank Algorithm: Applications in Humans and Plants.

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Li, Xiu-Qing; Xing, Tim; Du, Donglei

2016-01-01

Somatic mutation of signal transduction genes or key nodes of the cellular protein network can cause severe diseases in humans but can sometimes genetically improve plants, likely because growth is determinate in animals but indeterminate in plants. This article reviews protein networks; human protein ranking; the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and insulin (phospho- inositide 3kinase [PI3K]/phosphatase and tensin homolog [PTEN]/protein kinase B [AKT]) signaling pathways; human diseases caused by somatic mutations to the PI3K/PTEN/ AKT pathway; use of the MAPK pathway in plant molecular breeding; and protein domain evolution. Casitas B-lineage lymphoma (CBL), PTEN, MAPK1 and PIK3CA are among PIK3CA the top-ranked proteins in directional rankings. Eight proteins (ACVR1, CDC42, RAC1, RAF1, RHOA, TGFBR1, TRAF2, and TRAF6) are ranked in the top 50 key players in both signal emission and signal reception and in interaction with many other proteins. Top-ranked proteins likely have major impacts on the network function. Such proteins are targets for drug discovery, because their mutations are implicated in various cancers and overgrowth syndromes. Appropriately managing food intake may help reduce the growth of tumors or malformation of tissues. The role of the protein kinase C/ fatty acid synthase pathway in fat deposition in PTEN/PI3K patients should be investigated. Both the MAPK and insulin signaling pathways exist in plants, and MAPK pathway engineering can improve plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses such as salinity.

Release of somatic embryogenic potential from excised zygotic embryos of carrot and maintenance of proembryonic cultures in hormone-free medium

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, D. L.; Krikorian, A. D.

1989-01-01

Excised zygotic embryos, mericarps ("seeds") and hypocotyls of seedlings of cultivated carrot Daucus carota cv. Scarlet Nantes were evaluated for their ability to generate somatic embryos on a semisolid hormone-free nutrient medium. Neither intact zygotic embryos nor hypocotyls ever produced somatic embryos. However, mericarps and broken zygotic embryos were excellent sources for somatic embryo production (response levels as high as 86%). Somatic embryo formation was highest from cotyledons, but was also observed on isolated hypocotyls and root tips of mature zygotic embryos. On media containing unreduced nitrogen, somatic embryo formation led to the generation of vigorous cultures comprised entirely of somatic embryos at various stages of development which in turn proliferated still other somatic embryos. However, a medium was devised which when 1-5 mM NH4+ was the sole nitrogen source, led only to a proliferation of globular proembryos. Sustained subculturing of these proembryos at 2-3 week intervals enabled establishment of highly uniform cultures in which no further development into more mature stages of embryonic development occurred. These have been maintained, without decline, as morphogenetically competent proembryonic globules for over ten months. A basal medium containing from 1-5 mM NH4+ as the sole nitrogen source appears not to be inductive to somatic proembryo formation. Instead, such a medium is best thought of as permissive to the expression of embryogenically determined cells within zygotic embryos. By excising and breaking or wounding zygotic embryos, constituent cells are probably released from positional or chemical restraints and thus are able to express their innate embryogenic potential. Once a proembryonic culture is established, this medium containing 1-5 mM NH4+ as the sole nitrogen source provides a nonpermissive environment to the development and growth of later embryonic stages, but it does allow the continued formation and

Ultrastructural changes and the distribution of arabinogalactan proteins during somatic embryogenesis of banana (Musa spp. AAA cv. 'Yueyoukang 1').

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Xiao; Yang, Xiao; Lin, Guimei; Zou, Ru; Chen, Houbin; Samaj, Jozef; Xu, Chunxiang

2011-08-01

A better understanding of somatic embryogenesis in banana (Musa spp.) may provide a practical way to improve regeneration of banana plants. In this study, we applied scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to visualize the ultrastructural changes during somatic embryogenesis of banana (Musa AAA cv. 'Yueyoukang 1'). We also used histological and immunohistochemical techniques with 16 monoclonal antibodies to study the spatial distribution and cellular/subcellular localization of different arabinogalactan protein (AGP) components of the cell wall during somatic embryogenesis. Histological study with periodic acid-Schiff staining documented diverse embryogenic stages from embryogenic cells (ECs) to the late embryos. SEM revealed a mesh-like structure on the surface of proembryos which represented an early structural marker of somatic embryogenesis. TEM showed that ECs were rich in juvenile mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi stacks. Cells in proembryos and early globular embryos resembled ECs, but they were more vacuolated, showed more regular nuclei and slightly more developed organelles. Immunocytochemical study revealed that the signal of most AGP epitopes was stronger in starch-rich cells when compared with typical ECs. The main AGP component in the extracellular matrix surface network of banana proembryos was the MAC204 epitope. Later, AGP immunolabelling patterns varied with the developmental stages of the embryos. These results about developmental regulation of AGP epitopes along with developmental changes in the ultrastructure of cells are providing new insights into the somatic embryogenesis of banana. Copyright © Physiologia Plantarum 2011.

Recurrent somatic embryogenesis in long-term cultures of Gentiana lutea L. as a source for synthetic seed production for medium-term preservation

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Holobiuc Irina

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Our aim was to establish an efficient and reproducible system for producing synthetic seeds from recurrent somatic embryogenesis in long-term cultures of Gentiana lutea L. This species is a vulnerable medicinal plant, protected both at the national and international levels, and is included in different Red Lists and Books. In vitro culture, as an alternative to classical methods of preservation, allows for the cyclic multiplication of plant material and short-, medium- and long-term preservation of tissue collections. Biotechnological approaches allow for maintenance of the plant material in a confined space and protection against biotic and abiotic factors. Somatic embryogenesis (SE is the most efficient way to regenerate plants, ensuring material for preservation and fundamental research. In our experiment, recurrent somatic embryogenesis was developed in long-term cultures in the presence of sugar alcohols (mannitol, sorbitol and in the absence of growth factors. This process proceeded at a high rate, with adventive somatic embryos being generated in a continuous process, followed by maturation, germination and development into plants. To follow the somatic embryogenesis process, histological samples were made. We used these embryogenic cultures for synthetic seed production and medium-term conservation. The viability of somatic embryos after moderate osmotic stress treatment was tested using TTC. Our methodology relied on the induction of somatic embryogenesis in the presence of auxins in the first cycle of in vitro cultures, long-term high embryogenic culture maintenance in the presence of sugar alcohols and synthetic seed production.

Cognitive aspects of hypochondriasis and the somatization syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Rief, W; Hiller, W; Margraf, J

1998-11-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether specific cognitive aspects are present in patients suffering from somatoform disorders. With a sample of 493 patients from a center for behavioral medicine, the authors evaluated a questionnaire assessing typical cognitions concerning body perception, illness behavior, and health. The authors further examined 225 participants, including patients with a somatization syndrome, patients with somatization syndrome and additional hypochondriasis, patients with hypochondriasis, patients with other mental disorders (clinical control group), and nonclinical controls. The results showed that not only patients with hypochondriasis but also patients with somatization syndrome had cognitive concerns and assumptions that were specific for the disorder. These patients had a self-concept of being weak and unable to tolerate stress. A catastrophizing interpretation of minor bodily complaints found in hypochondriacal patients in earlier studies was also found for patients with multiple somatization symptoms.

A stochastic model of epigenetic dynamics in somatic cell reprogramming

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Max eFloettmann

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Somatic cell reprogramming has dramatically changed stem cell research inrecent years. The high pace of new findings in the field and an ever increasingamount of data from new high throughput techniques make it challengingto isolate core principles of the process. In order to analyze suchmechanisms, we developed an abstract mechanistic model of a subset of theknown regulatory processes during cell differentiation and production of inducedpluripotent stem cells. This probabilistic Boolean network describesthe interplay between gene expression, chromatin modifications and DNAmethylation. The model incorporates recent findings in epigenetics and reproducesexperimentally observed reprogramming efficiencies and changes inmethylation and chromatin remodeling. It enables us to investigate in detail,how the temporal progression of the process is regulated. It also explicitlyincludes the transduction of factors using viral vectors and their silencing inreprogrammed cells, since this is still a standard procedure in somatic cellreprogramming. Based on the model we calculate an epigenetic landscape.Simulation results show good reproduction of experimental observations duringreprogramming, despite the simple stucture of the model. An extensiveanalysis and introduced variations hint towards possible optimizations of theprocess, that could push the technique closer to clinical applications. Fasterchanges in DNA methylation increase the speed of reprogramming at theexpense of efficiency, while accelerated chromatin modifications moderatelyimprove efficiency.

Germline contamination and leakage in whole genome somatic single nucleotide variant detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Sendorek, Dorota H; Caloian, Cristian; Ellrott, Kyle; Bare, J Christopher; Yamaguchi, Takafumi N; Ewing, Adam D; Houlahan, Kathleen E; Norman, Thea C; Margolin, Adam A; Stuart, Joshua M; Boutros, Paul C

2018-01-31

The clinical sequencing of cancer genomes to personalize therapy is becoming routine across the world. However, concerns over patient re-identification from these data lead to questions about how tightly access should be controlled. It is not thought to be possible to re-identify patients from somatic variant data. However, somatic variant detection pipelines can mistakenly identify germline variants as somatic ones, a process called "germline leakage". The rate of germline leakage across different somatic variant detection pipelines is not well-understood, and it is uncertain whether or not somatic variant calls should be considered re-identifiable. To fill this gap, we quantified germline leakage across 259 sets of whole-genome somatic single nucleotide variant (SNVs) predictions made by 21 teams as part of the ICGC-TCGA DREAM Somatic Mutation Calling Challenge. The median somatic SNV prediction set contained 4325 somatic SNVs and leaked one germline polymorphism. The level of germline leakage was inversely correlated with somatic SNV prediction accuracy and positively correlated with the amount of infiltrating normal cells. The specific germline variants leaked differed by tumour and algorithm. To aid in quantitation and correction of leakage, we created a tool, called GermlineFilter, for use in public-facing somatic SNV databases. The potential for patient re-identification from leaked germline variants in somatic SNV predictions has led to divergent open data access policies, based on different assessments of the risks. Indeed, a single, well-publicized re-identification event could reshape public perceptions of the values of genomic data sharing. We find that modern somatic SNV prediction pipelines have low germline-leakage rates, which can be further reduced, especially for cloud-sharing, using pre-filtering software.

Is chronic pain associated with somatization/hypochondriasis? An evidence-based structured review.

Science.gov (United States)

Fishbain, David A; Lewis, John E; Gao, Jinrun; Cole, Brandly; Steele Rosomoff, R

2009-01-01

This is an evidence-based structured review. The objectives of this review were to answer the following questions: (1) Are somatization/hypochondriasis associated with chronic pain? (2) Is the degree of somatization/hypochondriasis related to pain levels? (3) Does pain treatment improve somatization/hypochondriasis? (4) Are some pain diagnoses differentially associated with somatization/hypochondriasis? Fifty-seven studies which fulfilled inclusion criteria and had high quality scores were sorted by the above-mentioned objectives. Agency for health care policy and research guidelines were utilized to type and characterize the strength/consistency of the study evidence within each objective. Somatization and hypochondriasis were both consistently associated with chronic pain (consistency ratings B and A, respectively). Study evidence indicated a correlation between pain intensity and presence of somatization and hypochondriasis (consistency rating A and B, respectively). Pain treatment improved somatization and hypochondriasis (consistency rating B and A, respectively). Some chronic pain diagnostic groups somatized more (consistency rating B). Somatization is commonly associated with chronic pain and may relate to pain levels.

Does Growth Impairment Underlie the Adverse Effects of Dexamethasone on Development of Noradrenergic Systems?

Science.gov (United States)

Slotkin, Theodore A; Ko, Ashley; Seidler, Frederic J

2018-06-20

Glucocorticoids are given in preterm labor to prevent respiratory distress but these agents evoke neurobehavioral deficits in association with reduced brain region volumes. To determine whether the neurodevelopmental effects are distinct from growth impairment, we gave developing rats dexamethasone at doses below or within the therapeutic range (0.05, 0.2 or 0.8 mg/kg) at different stages: gestational days (GD) 17-19, postnatal days (PN) 1-3 or PN7-9. In adolescence and adulthood, we assessed the impact on noradrenergic systems in multiple brain regions, comparing the effects to those on somatic growth or on brain region growth. Somatic growth was reduced with exposure in all three stages, with greater sensitivity for the postnatal regimens; brain region growth was impaired to a lesser extent. Norepinephrine content and concentration were reduced depending on the treatment regimen, with a rank order of deficits of PN7-9 > PN1-3 > GD17-19. However, brain growth impairment did not parallel reduced norepinephrine content in magnitude, dose threshold, sex or regional selectivity, or temporal pattern, and even when corrected for reduced brain region weights (norepinephrine per g tissue), the dexamethasone-exposed animals showed subnormal values. Regression analysis showed that somatic growth impairment accounted for an insubstantial amount of the reduction in norepinephrine content, and brain growth impairment accounted for only 12%, whereas specific effects on norepinephrine accounted for most of the effect. The adverse effects of dexamethasone on noradrenergic system development are not simply related to impaired somatic or brain region growth, but rather include specific targeting of neurodifferentiation. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Energy Saving: Scaling Network Energy Efficiency Faster than Traffic Growth

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, Y.; Blume, O.; Gati, A.; Capone, A.; Wu, C.-E.; Barth, U.; Marzetta, T.; Zhang, H.; Xu, S.

2013-01-01

As the mobile traffic is expected to continue its exponential growth in the near future, energy efficiency has gradually become a must criterion for wireless network design. Three fundamental questions need to be answered before the detailed design could be carried out, namely what energy efficiency

Personality traits influencing somatization symptoms and social inhibition in the elderly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wongpakaran T

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Tinakon Wongpakaran, Nahathai WongpakaranFaculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, ThailandPurpose: Somatization is a common symptom among the elderly, and even though personality disorders have been found to be associated with somatization, personality traits have not yet been explored with regard to this symptom. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between personality traits and somatization, and social inhibition.Patients and methods: As part of a cross-sectional study of a community sample, 126 elderly Thais aged 60 years or over completed self-reporting questionnaires related to somatization and personality traits. Somatization was elicited from the somatization subscale when using the Symptom Checklist SCL-90 instrument. Personality traits were drawn from the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire and social inhibition was identified when using the inventory of interpersonal problems. In addition, path analysis was used to establish the influence of personality traits on somatization and social inhibition.Results: Of the 126 participants, 51% were male, 55% were married, and 25% were retired. The average number of years in education was 7.6 (standard deviation =5.2. “Emotional stability” and “dominance” were found to have a direct effect on somatization, as were age and number of years in education, but not sex. Also, 35% of the total variance could be explained by the model, with excellent fit statistics. Dominance was found to have an indirect effect, via vigilance, on social inhibition, which was also influenced by number of years in education and emotional stability. Social inhibition was not found to have any effect on somatization, although hypothetically it should.Conclusion: “Emotional stability”, “dominance”, and “vigilance”, as well as age and the number of years in education, were found to have an effect on somatization. Attention should be paid to these factors in the elderly

Plant regeneration from protoplasts ofVicia narbonensis via somatic embryogenesis and shoot organogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tegeder, M; Kohn, H; Nibbe, M; Schieder, O; Pickardt, T

1996-11-01

Protoplasts ofVicia narbonensis isolated from epicotyls and shoot tips of etiolated seedlings were embedded in 1.4% sodium-alginate at a final density of 2.5×10(5) protoplasts/ml and cultivated in Kao and Michayluk-medium containing 0.5 mg/I of each of 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, naphthylacetic acid and 6 -benzylaminopurine. A division frequency of 36% and a plating efficiency of 0.40-0.5% were obtained. Six weeks after embedding, protoplast-derived calluses were transferred onto gelrite-solidified Murashige and Skoog-media containing various growth regulators. Regeneration of plants was achieved via two morphologically distinguishable pathways. A two step protocol (initially on medium with a high auxin concentration followed by a culture phase with lowered auxin amount) was used to regenerate somatic embryos, whereas cultivation on medium containing thidiazuron and naphthylacetic acid resulted in shoot morphogenesis. Mature plants were recovered from both somatic embryos as well as from thidiazuron-induced shoots.

Induction of somatic embryogenesis by polyethylene glycol and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

VIJI

2012-06-05

Jun 5, 2012 ... supplemented with 2,4-D (2 µM), abscisic acid (3 µM) and glutamine (0.03 mM). The somatic embryos ... essential amino acids of seed proteins, shortened vegetative ... or somatic embryo maturation in diverse plants such as.

Changes in the synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein during somatic embryogenesis in wheat (triticum aestivum L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui Kairong; Wang Xiaozhe; Chen Xiong; Wang Yafu

1997-01-01

Embryogenic and non-embryogenic callus formed from immature embryo of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in N 6 B 5 MS medium I supplemented with 2,4-D 2 mg/L, KT 0.5 mg/L, LH300 mg/L, sucrose 3% were sub-cultured and transferred respectively to N 6 B 5 MS medium II (2,4-D was decreased to 0.5 mg/L and 4 mol/L proline was added). Somatic embryos obtained from embryogenic callus, and plantlet formed from non-embryogenic callus through organogenesis respectively. By incorporation of 3 H-thymidine, 3 H-uridine and 3 H-leucine into DNA, RNA and protein respectively, the rate of synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein during somatic embryogenesis were measured. A large amount of RNA and protein synthesized during the early somatic embryogenesis. The activities of RNA and protein synthesis reached the peak on the 4th and the 8th day respectively, then decreased a little, but kept a high level. The synthesis of DNA increased apparently during the early stage. No apparent change occurred when the embryogenic cell masses formed. The synthesis rate of RNA and protein in non-embryogenic callus were much less than that in embryogenic callus. Actinomycin and cycloheximide inhibited not only the synthesis of nucleic acid and protein, but also the growth of embryogenic callus and somatic embryogenesis. The earlier the inhibitors were added, the greater the influence was caused. The results indicate that the active expression of corresponding genes of wheat is the molecular base of somatic embryogenesis

Practice Guidelines for Treatment of Somatic Pain and Depression

OpenAIRE

Sonali Sarkar

2017-01-01

Background: Somatic pain is often associated with depression. Patients presenting with this combination can be difficult to treat and create a significant financial burden on the medical system. The mechanisms of action linking somatic pain and the myriad of depression are not clearly understood thus highlighting a gap in knowledge between the scientific mechanism, pathogenesis, and psychiatry involved in depression and somatic pain. The objective of this review article is to address etiolog...

Effect of light quality on somatic embryogenesis of quince leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Onofrio, C.; Morini, S.; Bellocchi, G.

1998-01-01

The effect of light quality on somatic embryogenesis in quince BA 29 was investigated. 2,4-D induced leaves were exposed for 25 days to the following light quality treatments: dark, far-red, far-red+blue, far-red+red, blue, white, red+blue, red. After a further 20 days of white light exposure, somatic embryo production was recorded. Somatic embryogenesis was highest in cultures subjected to red light treatment, and decreased progressively with the transition to red+blue and to white. Overall, embryogenic competence showed a correlation with photoequilibrium. Phytochrome appeared to be inductive although this effect was adversely influenced by the blue absorbing photoreceptor, in particular at low photoequilibrium. Independently of light treatments applied, somatic embryos frequently showed severe morphological abnormalities. Conversion of somatic embryos to plantlets was not observed. (author)

Non-Contact Plant Growth Measurement Method and System Based on Ubiquitous Sensor Network Technologies

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Intae Ryoo

2011-04-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a non-contact plant growth measurement system using infrared sensors based on the ubiquitous sensor network (USN technology. The proposed system measures plant growth parameters such as the stem radius of plants using real-time non-contact methods, and generates diameter, cross-sectional area and thickening form of plant stems using this measured data. Non-contact sensors have been used not to cause any damage to plants during measurement of the growth parameters. Once the growth parameters are measured, they are transmitted to a remote server using the sensor network technology and analyzed in the application program server. The analyzed data are then provided for administrators and a group of interested users. The proposed plant growth measurement system has been designed and implemented using fixed-type and rotary-type infrared sensor based measurement methods and devices. Finally, the system performance is compared and verified with the measurement data that have been obtained by practical field experiments.

Transcriptome Analysis of mRNA and miRNA in Somatic Embryos of Larix leptolepis Subjected to Hydrogen Treatment

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Yali Liu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Hydrogen is a therapeutic antioxidant that has been used extensively in clinical trials. It also acts as a bioactive molecule that can alleviate abiotic stress in plants. However, the biological effects of hydrogen in somatic embryos and the underlying molecular basis remain largely unknown. In this study, the morphological and physiological influence of exogenous H2 treatment during somatic embryogenesis was characterized in Larix leptolepis Gordon. The results showed that exposure to hydrogen increased the proportions of active pro-embryogenic cells and normal somatic embryos. We sequenced mRNA and microRNA (miRNA libraries to identify global transcriptome changes at different time points during H2 treatment of larch pro-embryogenic masses (PEMs. A total of 45,393 mRNAs and 315 miRNAs were obtained. Among them, 4253 genes and 96 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the hydrogen-treated libraries compared with the control. Further, a large number of the differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs were related to reactive oxygen species (ROS homeostasis and cell cycle regulation. We also identified 4399 potential target genes for 285 of the miRNAs. The differential expression data and the mRNA-miRNA interaction network described here provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms that determine the performance of PEMs exposed to H2 during somatic embryogenesis.

Tumor progression: chance and necessity in Darwinian and Lamarckian somatic (mutationless) evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Sui

2012-09-01

Current investigation of cancer progression towards increasing malignancy focuses on the molecular pathways that produce the various cancerous traits of cells. Their acquisition is explained by the somatic mutation theory: tumor progression is the result of a neo-Darwinian evolution in the tissue. Herein cells are the units of selection. Random genetic mutations permanently affecting these pathways create malignant cell phenotypes that are selected for in the disturbed tissue. However, could it be that the capacity of the genome and its gene regulatory network to generate the vast diversity of cell types during development, i.e., to produce inheritable phenotypic changes without mutations, is harnessed by tumorigenesis to propel a directional change towards malignancy? Here we take an encompassing perspective, transcending the orthodoxy of molecular carcinogenesis and review mechanisms of somatic evolution beyond the Neo-Darwinian scheme. We discuss the central concept of "cancer attractors" - the hidden stable states of gene regulatory networks normally not occupied by cells. Noise-induced transitions into such attractors provide a source for randomness (chance) and regulatory constraints (necessity) in the acquisition of novel expression profiles that can be inherited across cell divisions, and hence, can be selected for. But attractors can also be reached in response to environmental signals - thus offering the possibility for inheriting acquired traits that can also be selected for. Therefore, we face the possibility of non-genetic (mutation-independent) equivalents to both Darwinian and Lamarckian evolution which may jointly explain the arrow of change pointing toward increasing malignancy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parental Criticism is an Environmental Influence on Adolescent Somatic Symptoms

Science.gov (United States)

Horwitz, BN; Marceau, K; Narusyte, J; Ganiban, J; Spotts, EL; Reiss, D; Lichtenstein, P; Neiderhiser, JM

2015-01-01

Previous studies have suggested that parental criticism leads to more somatic symptoms in adolescent children. Yet this research has not assessed the direction of causation or whether genetic and/or environmental influences explain the association between parental criticism and adolescent somatic symptoms. As such, it is impossible to understand the mechanisms that underlie this association. The current study uses the Extended Children of Twins design to examine whether parents’ genes, adolescents’ genes, and/or environmental factors explain the relationship between parental criticism and adolescent somatic symptoms. Participants came from two twin samples, including the Twin and Offspring Study in Sweden (N = 868 pairs of adult twins and each twin’s adolescent child) and from the Twin Study of Child and Adolescent Development (N = 690 pairs of twin children and their parents). Findings showed that environmental influences account for the association between parental criticism and adolescent somatic symptoms. This suggests that parents’ critical behaviors exert a direct environmental effect on somatic symptoms in adolescent children. Results support the use of intervention programs focused on parental criticism to help reduce adolescents’ somatic symptoms. PMID:25844495

Three forms of somatization in primary care: prevalence, co-occurrence, and sociodemographic characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirmayer, L J; Robbins, J M

1991-11-01

Three definitions of somatization were operationalized: (a) high levels of functional somatic distress, measured by the Somatic Symptom Index (SSI) of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule; (b) hypochondriasis measured by high scores on a measure of illness worry in the absence of evidence for serious illness; and (c) exclusively somatic clinical presentations among patients with current major depression or anxiety. Of 685 patients attending two family medicine clinics, 26.3% met criteria for one or more forms of somatization. While DSM-III somatization disorder had a prevalence of only 1% in this population, 16.6% of the patients met abridged criteria for subsyndromal somatization disorder (SSI 4,6). Hypochondriacal worry had a prevalence of 7.7% in the clinic sample. Somatized presentations of current major depression or anxiety disorder had a prevalence of 8%. The three forms of somatization were associated with different sociodemographic and illness behavior characteristics. A majority of patients met criteria for only one type of somatization, suggesting that distinct pathogenic processes may be involved in each of the three types.

Development of direct somatic embryogenesis and regeneration on citrus sinesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chong Saw Peng; Alvina Lindsay Mijen; Rusli Ibrahim

2004-01-01

The plant regeneration processes in Citrus sinensis involves direct somatic embryogenesis. Culture medium used was MS basal supplemented with 50 mg/L sucrose, 0.27% agar and 0.1% vitamin at pH 5.8. Sucrose is the major carbon source for the induction of somatic embryo and also the maturation and germination of somatic embryo. (Author)

Limited urban growth: London's street network dynamics since the 18th century.

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A Paolo Masucci

Full Text Available We investigate the growth dynamics of Greater London defined by the administrative boundary of the Greater London Authority, based on the evolution of its street network during the last two centuries. This is done by employing a unique dataset, consisting of the planar graph representation of nine time slices of Greater London's road network spanning 224 years, from 1786 to 2010. Within this time-frame, we address the concept of the metropolitan area or city in physical terms, in that urban evolution reveals observable transitions in the distribution of relevant geometrical properties. Given that London has a hard boundary enforced by its long standing green belt, we show that its street network dynamics can be described as a fractal space-filling phenomena up to a capacitated limit, whence its growth can be predicted with a striking level of accuracy. This observation is confirmed by the analytical calculation of key topological properties of the planar graph, such as the topological growth of the network and its average connectivity. This study thus represents an example of a strong violation of Gibrat's law. In particular, we are able to show analytically how London evolves from a more loop-like structure, typical of planned cities, toward a more tree-like structure, typical of self-organized cities. These observations are relevant to the discourse on sustainable urban planning with respect to the control of urban sprawl in many large cities which have developed under the conditions of spatial constraints imposed by green belts and hard urban boundaries.

Limited urban growth: London's street network dynamics since the 18th century.

Science.gov (United States)

Masucci, A Paolo; Stanilov, Kiril; Batty, Michael

2013-01-01

We investigate the growth dynamics of Greater London defined by the administrative boundary of the Greater London Authority, based on the evolution of its street network during the last two centuries. This is done by employing a unique dataset, consisting of the planar graph representation of nine time slices of Greater London's road network spanning 224 years, from 1786 to 2010. Within this time-frame, we address the concept of the metropolitan area or city in physical terms, in that urban evolution reveals observable transitions in the distribution of relevant geometrical properties. Given that London has a hard boundary enforced by its long standing green belt, we show that its street network dynamics can be described as a fractal space-filling phenomena up to a capacitated limit, whence its growth can be predicted with a striking level of accuracy. This observation is confirmed by the analytical calculation of key topological properties of the planar graph, such as the topological growth of the network and its average connectivity. This study thus represents an example of a strong violation of Gibrat's law. In particular, we are able to show analytically how London evolves from a more loop-like structure, typical of planned cities, toward a more tree-like structure, typical of self-organized cities. These observations are relevant to the discourse on sustainable urban planning with respect to the control of urban sprawl in many large cities which have developed under the conditions of spatial constraints imposed by green belts and hard urban boundaries.

Children of people with somatization disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Livingston, R

1993-05-01

The author investigated psychopathology, suicidal behavior, child abuse, somatization, and health care utilization in 34 children with a parent who has somatization disorder (SD-P) and two comparison groups: 41 children with a somatizing parent (SOM) (fewer symptoms than required for diagnosis of SD-P), and 30 pediatrically ill controls (CON). Child and parent versions of the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents were scored for diagnosis and symptom counts in specified categories. Medical records were obtained and abstracted. Children of SD-P had significantly more psychiatric disorders and suicide attempts than did children of SOM or the CON. SD-P and CON had significantly more unexplained physical symptoms than SOM. SD-P showed a trend toward more hospitalizations and experienced significantly more maltreatment. Children of SD-P are at significant risk in several respects. Clinical implications of these findings include a need for awareness and cooperation among general psychiatrists, primary care physicians, and child and adolescent psychiatrists to facilitate detection and treatment of these children's problems.

Spiking, Bursting, and Population Dynamics in a Network of Growth Transform Neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Gangopadhyay, Ahana; Chakrabartty, Shantanu

2017-04-27

This paper investigates the dynamical properties of a network of neurons, each of which implements an asynchronous mapping based on polynomial growth transforms. In the first part of this paper, we present a geometric approach for visualizing the dynamics of the network where each of the neurons traverses a trajectory in a dual optimization space, whereas the network itself traverses a trajectory in an equivalent primal optimization space. We show that as the network learns to solve basic classification tasks, different choices of primal-dual mapping produce unique but interpretable neural dynamics like noise shaping, spiking, and bursting. While the proposed framework is general enough, in this paper, we demonstrate its use for designing support vector machines (SVMs) that exhibit noise-shaping properties similar to those of ΣΔ modulators, and for designing SVMs that learn to encode information using spikes and bursts. It is demonstrated that the emergent switching, spiking, and burst dynamics produced by each neuron encodes its respective margin of separation from a classification hyperplane whose parameters are encoded by the network population dynamics. We believe that the proposed growth transform neuron model and the underlying geometric framework could serve as an important tool to connect well-established machine learning algorithms like SVMs to neuromorphic principles like spiking, bursting, population encoding, and noise shaping.

Transfer of bacterial blight resistance from Oryza meyeriana to O.Sativa L.by asymmetric somatic hybridization

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZHU Yongsheng; CHEN Baotang; YU Shunwu; ZHANG Duanpin; ZHANG Xueqin; YAN Qiusheng

2004-01-01

Asymmetric somatic hybrid plants were produced between cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wild species [O. Meyeriana (Zoll. etMor, exSteud.)] with high resistance to rice bacterial blight. X-ray-irradiated protoplasts of the wild species were used as donor and chemically fused with iodoacetamide-inactivated protoplasts of rice cv. 02428to produce hybrids. Seventy-two plants were regenerated from 623 calli based on metabolic complementation. The morphological characters of the plants closely resembled that of the rice. Simple sequence repeats were employed to identify their hybridity. Cytological analysis of root-tips revealed that their chromosome number varied in the range of 27-38. The somatic hybrids were inoculated with strains of Xanthamonas oryzae pv. Oryzae at adult growth stage and demonstrated the resistance to bacterial blight introgression from the O. Meyeriana.

Delusional disorder-somatic type (or body dysmorphic disorder) and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

to distinguish cases of delusional disorder of somatic subtype from severe somatization .... features suggestive of a paranoid schizophrenia. Paranoid schizophrenia ... Of note is that the patient's personality and psychosocial functioning were ...

Buriti oil (Mauritia flexuosa L.) negatively impacts somatic growth and reflex maturation and increases retinol deposition in young rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Medeiros, Maria C; Aquino, Jailane S; Soares, Juliana; Figueiroa, Edigleide B; Mesquita, Hanni M; Pessoa, Debora C; Stamford, Tania M

2015-11-01

Buriti oil contains nutrients such as essential fatty acids and vitamins, which are directly involved with neonates' development. However, the refining process of this oil can change its nutrient profile. This study investigated the effects of maternal consumption of Buriti oil (crude or refined), on reflex and somatic development and retinol levels in neonatal rats. Thirty-six Wistar male neonate rats born from mothers who consumed diet with 7% lipids during gestation and lactation were used. Rats were randomized into three groups: rats receiving diet added of soybean oil (control-CG), crude Buriti oil (CB) and refined Buriti oil (RB). Offspring weight, tail length, reflex ontogeny and somatic maturation were assessed during lactation. At the end of the experiment, serum and liver retinol concentrations were measured. Animals from CB and RB groups showed delayed onset of palm grasp, righting reflex and cliff avoidance reflexes compared to the control group (CG). However, animals from RB group showed anticipation of auditory startle compared to those from BC group. Regarding somatic maturation indicators, animals from RB group showed delayed eye opening and eruption of superior and inferior incisors in relation to control and anticipation in the auditory conduit opening in relation to CB group. Rats from CB and RB groups showed higher serum and liver vitamin A contents. Buriti oil delays physical parameters and reflex maturation and increases serum and liver retinol deposition among neonatal rats. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Plant regeneration of Michelia champaca L., through somatic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2010-05-03

May 3, 2010 ... as a basic material for perfume, cosmetic, and medicine. The development of an ... Plant regeneration systems of M. champaca through somatic ... The embryogenic cells proliferated and formed somatic embryos (30%) after four to six .... by using MS excel program and Duncan's new multiple range test.

Fracture network growth for prediction of fracture characteristics and connectivity in tight reservoir rocks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barnhoorn, A.; Cox, S.F.

2012-01-01

Fracturing experiments on very low-porosity dolomite rocks shows a difference in growth of fracture networks by stress-driven fracturing and fluid-driven fracturing. Stress-driven fracture growth, in the absence of fluid pressure, initially forms fractures randomly throughout the rocks followed by

File list: Pol.Gon.50.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Pol.Gon.50.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells mm9 RNA polymerase Gonad Testicular somat...ic cells http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/mm9/assembled/Pol.Gon.50.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells.bed ...

File list: Oth.Gon.50.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Oth.Gon.50.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells mm9 TFs and others Gonad Testicular somat...ic cells http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/mm9/assembled/Oth.Gon.50.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells.bed ...

File list: Oth.Gon.05.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Oth.Gon.05.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells mm9 TFs and others Gonad Testicular somat...ic cells http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/mm9/assembled/Oth.Gon.05.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells.bed ...

The transcriptional and gene regulatory network of Lactococcus lactis MG1363 during growth in milk.

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Anne de Jong

Full Text Available In the present study we examine the changes in the expression of genes of Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris MG1363 during growth in milk. To reveal which specific classes of genes (pathways, operons, regulons, COGs are important, we performed a transcriptome time series experiment. Global analysis of gene expression over time showed that L. lactis adapted quickly to the environmental changes. Using upstream sequences of genes with correlated gene expression profiles, we uncovered a substantial number of putative DNA binding motifs that may be relevant for L. lactis fermentative growth in milk. All available novel and literature-derived data were integrated into network reconstruction building blocks, which were used to reconstruct and visualize the L. lactis gene regulatory network. This network enables easy mining in the chrono-transcriptomics data. A freely available website at http://milkts.molgenrug.nl gives full access to all transcriptome data, to the reconstructed network and to the individual network building blocks.

Somatic seeds of Plantago asiatica L.

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Emilia Andrzejewska-Golec

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Somatic seeds of Plantago asiatica L. were produced for the first time. Shoot-tips isolated from in vitro obtained 4-week shoots were encapsulated using sodium alginate and calcium chloride. Capsules with or without sucrose and with and without cytokinin - indole-3-butyric acid (IBA were used. Sucrose presence in capsules very distinctly influences somatic seeds of Plantago asiatica germination and their conversion into plants. However, addition of IBA to capsules has not clear influence on the ability of plant regrowth. Plantlets transplanted to soil grew to phenotypically normal plants.

The Effectiveness of Somatization in Communicating Distress in Korean and American Cultural Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Eunsoo; Chentsova-Dutton, Yulia; Parrott, W. Gerrod

2016-01-01

Previous research has documented that Asians tend to somatize negative experiences to a greater degree than Westerners. It is posited that somatization may be a more functional communication strategy in Korean than American context. We examined the effects of somatization in communications of distress among participants from the US and Korea. We predicted that the communicative benefits of somatic words used in distress narratives would depend on the cultural contexts. In Study 1, we found that Korean participants used more somatic words to communicate distress than US participants. Among Korean participants, but not US participants, use of somatic words predicted perceived effectiveness of the communication and expectations of positive reactions (e.g., empathy) from others. In Study 2, we found that when presented with distress narratives of others, Koreans (but not Americans) showed more sympathy in response to narratives using somatic words than narratives using emotional words. These findings suggest that cultural differences in use of somatization may reflect differential effectiveness of somatization in communicating distress across cultural contexts. PMID:27047414

The Effectiveness of Somatization in Communicating Distress in Korean and American Cultural Contexts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eunsoo eChoi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Previous research has documented that Asians tend to somatize negative experiences to a greater degree than Westerners. It is posited that somatization may be a more functional communication strategy in Korean than American context. We examined the effects of somatization in communications of distress among participants from the US and Korea. We predicted that the communicative benefits of somatic words used in distress narratives would depend on the cultural contexts. In Study 1, we found that Korean participants used more somatic words to communicate distress than US participants. Among Korean participants, but not US participants, use of somatic words predicted perceived effectiveness of the communication and expectations of positive reactions (e.g., empathy from others. In study 2, we found that when presented with distress narratives of others, Koreans (but not Americans showed more sympathy in response to narratives using somatic words than narratives using emotional words. These findings suggest that cultural differences in use of somatization may reflect differential effectiveness of somatization in communicating distress across cultural contexts.

The Growth of Transnational Corporate Networks: 1962-1998

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey Kentor

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This is a study of the growth of organizational power in the world-economy over the past forty years. It takes the position that transnational corporations (TNCs are increasingly significant actors in the world-economy, independent of the nation-states within which they are located. The goal of this work is to identify the expansion, spatial distribution, and concentration of this global power over time, and to consider its impact on the global economy. The TNC networks are identified by locating the headquarters and foreign subsidiaries of the world’s 100 largest manufacturing corporations in 1962, 1971, 1983, 1991 and 1998. The distribution of ownership and location of these foreign subsidiaries are examined, both globally and bilaterally. I find high levels of concentration in ownership of these global networks that decrease over time, in contrast to a high degree of dispersion in the location of these linkages. U.S. corporations are clearly the dominant actors from 1962 to 1971 but decline dramatically through 1998, while Japanese and Western European TNC control over transnational networks grows significantly over this period. An empirical measure of economic dominance in the global economy is also presented.

Regulation of somatic embryo development in Norway spruce (Picea abies). A molecular approach to the characterization of specific developmental stages

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sabala, I. [Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (Sweden). Dept. of Forest Genetics

1998-12-31

Embryo development is a complex process involving a set of strictly regulated events. The regulation of these events is poorly understood especially during the early stages of embryo development. Somatic embryos go through the same developmental stages as zygotic embryos making them an ideal model system for studying the regulation of embryo development. We have used embryogenic cultures of Picea abies to study some aspects of the regulation of embryo development in gymnosperms. The bottle neck during somatic embryogenesis is the switch from the proliferation stage to the maturation stage. This switch is initiated by giving somatic embryos a maturation treatment i.e. the embryos are treated with abscisic acid (ABA). Somatic embryos which respond to ABA by forming mature somatic embryos were stimulated to secret a 70 kDa protein, AF70. The af70 gene was isolated and characterised. The expression of the af70 gene was constitutive in embryos but was highly ABA-induced in seedlings. Moreover, expression of this gene was stimulated during cold acclimation of Picea abies seedlings. A full length Picea abies cDNA clone Pa18, encoding a protein with the characteristics of plant lipid transfer proteins (LTPs), was isolated and characterised. The Pa18 gene is constitutively expressed in embryogenic cultures of Picea abies representing different stages of development as well as in nonembryogenic callus and seedlings. In situ hybridization showed that Pa18 gene is expressed in all embryonic cells of proliferating somatic embryos but the expression of the gene in mature somatic and zygotic embryos is restricted to the outer cell layer. Southern blot analysis at different stringencies was consistent with a single gene. An alteration in expression of Pa18 causes disturbance in the formation of the proper outer cell layer in the maturing somatic embryos. In addition to its influence on embryo development the Pa18 gene product also inhibits growth of Agrobacterium tumefaciens 195

Growth kinetics of borided layers: Artificial neural network and least square approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Campos, I.; Islas, M.; Ramírez, G.; VillaVelázquez, C.; Mota, C.

2007-05-01

The present study evaluates the growth kinetics of the boride layer Fe 2B in AISI 1045 steel, by means of neural networks and the least square techniques. The Fe 2B phase was formed at the material surface using the paste boriding process. The surface boron potential was modified considering different boron paste thicknesses, with exposure times of 2, 4 and 6 h, and treatment temperatures of 1193, 1223 and 1273 K. The neural network and the least square models were set by the layer thickness of Fe 2B phase, and assuming that the growth of the boride layer follows a parabolic law. The reliability of the techniques used is compared with a set of experiments at a temperature of 1223 K with 5 h of treatment time and boron potentials of 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm. The results of the Fe 2B layer thicknesses show a mean error of 5.31% for the neural network and 3.42% for the least square method.

Developmental programming of somatic growth, behavior and endocannabinoid metabolism by variation of early postnatal nutrition in a cross-fostering mouse model.

Science.gov (United States)

Schreiner, Felix; Ackermann, Merle; Michalik, Michael; Hucklenbruch-Rother, Eva; Bilkei-Gorzo, Andras; Racz, Ildiko; Bindila, Laura; Lutz, Beat; Dötsch, Jörg; Zimmer, Andreas; Woelfle, Joachim

2017-01-01

Nutrient deprivation during early development has been associated with the predisposition to metabolic disorders in adulthood. Considering its interaction with metabolism, appetite and behavior, the endocannabinoid (eCB) system represents a promising target of developmental programming. By cross-fostering and variation of litter size, early postnatal nutrition of CB6F1-hybrid mice was controlled during the lactation period (3, 6, or 10 pups/mother). After weaning and redistribution at P21, all pups received standard chow ad libitum. Gene expression analyses (liver, visceral fat, hypothalamus) were performed at P50, eCB concentrations were determined in liver and visceral fat. Locomotor activity and social behavior were analyzed by means of computer-assisted videotracking. Body growth was permanently altered, with differences for length, weight, body mass index and fat mass persisting beyond P100 (all 3>6>10,p6>10 (DAGLα p6>10 (FAAH pOpen-field social behavior testing revealed significant group differences, with formerly underfed mice turning out to be the most sociable animals (p<0.01). Locomotor activity did not differ. Our data indicate a developmental plasticity of somatic growth, behavior and parameters of the eCB system, with long-lasting impact of early postnatal nutrition. Developmental programming of the eCB system in metabolically active tissues, as shown here for liver and fat, may play a role in the formation of the adult cardiometabolic risk profile following perinatal malnutrition in humans.

Studies for Somatic Embryogenesis in Sweet Potato

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, J. Rasheed; Prakash, C. S.

1997-01-01

The purpose of this study was to improve the somatic embryo (SE) system for plant production of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L(Lam)). Explants isolated from SE-derived sweet potato plants were compared with control (non SE-derived) plants for their competency for SE production. Leaf explants were cultured on Murashige-Skoog (MS) medium with 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (0.2 mg/L) and 6-benzylaminopurine (2.5 mg/L) for 2 weeks in darkness and transferred to MS medium with abscisic acid (2.5 mg/L). Explants isolated from those plants developed through somatic embryogenesis produced new somatic embryos rapidly and in higher frequency than those isolated from control plants They also appeared to grow faster in tissue culture than the control plants. Current studies in the laboratory are examining whether plants derived from a cyclical embryogenesis system (five cycles) would have any further positive impact on the rapidity and frequency of somatic embryo development. More detailed studies using electron microscopy are expected to show the point of origin of the embryos and to allow determination of their quality throughout the cyclical process. This study may facilitate improved plant micropropagation, gene transfer and germplasm conservation in sweet potato.

A Discrete Fracture Network Model with Stress-Driven Nucleation and Growth

Science.gov (United States)

Lavoine, E.; Darcel, C.; Munier, R.; Davy, P.

2017-12-01

The realism of Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) models, beyond the bulk statistical properties, relies on the spatial organization of fractures, which is not issued by purely stochastic DFN models. The realism can be improved by injecting prior information in DFN from a better knowledge of the geological fracturing processes. We first develop a model using simple kinematic rules for mimicking the growth of fractures from nucleation to arrest, in order to evaluate the consequences of the DFN structure on the network connectivity and flow properties. The model generates fracture networks with power-law scaling distributions and a percentage of T-intersections that are consistent with field observations. Nevertheless, a larger complexity relying on the spatial variability of natural fractures positions cannot be explained by the random nucleation process. We propose to introduce a stress-driven nucleation in the timewise process of this kinematic model to study the correlations between nucleation, growth and existing fracture patterns. The method uses the stress field generated by existing fractures and remote stress as an input for a Monte-Carlo sampling of nuclei centers at each time step. Networks so generated are found to have correlations over a large range of scales, with a correlation dimension that varies with time and with the function that relates the nucleation probability to stress. A sensibility analysis of input parameters has been performed in 3D to quantify the influence of fractures and remote stress field orientations.

Growth Hormone and Craniofacial Tissues. An update

OpenAIRE

Litsas, George

2015-01-01

Growth hormone is an important regulator of bone homeostasis. In childhood, it determines the longitudinal bone growth, skeletal maturation, and acquisition of bone mass. In adulthood, it is necessary to maintain bone mass throughout life. Although an association between craniofacial and somatic development has been clearly established, craniofacial growth involves complex interactions of genes, hormones and environment. Moreover, as an anabolic hormone seems to have an important role in the ...

Germinal and somatic mutations in cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knudson, A.G. Jr.

1977-01-01

The role of germinal and somatic mutations in carcinogenesis leads to the conclusion that environmental carcinogens probably exert their effects via somatic mutations. Susceptibility to this process may itself be genetically determined, so we may deduce that two groups, one genetic and one non-genetic, are included in the 'environmental' class. Other individuals seem to acquire cancer even in the absence of such environmental agents, and these too may be classified into a genetic and a non-genetic group. It has been estimated that in industrial countries, the environmental groups include 70-80% of all cancer cases, but we are only beginning to know how to separate the genetic and non-genetic subgroups. The genetic subgroup of the 'non-environmental' group is very small, probably of the order of magnitude of 1-2% for cancer as a whole. The remainder, about 25%, comprises a non-genetic, non-environmental subgroup that seems to arise as a consequence of 'spontaneous' somatic mutations. The incidence of these 'background' cancers is what we should combat with preventive and therapeutic measures

Contribution to growth and increment analysis on the Italian CONECOFOR Level II Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilio AMORINI

2002-09-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the "Estimation of growth and yield" included in the National Programme on Intensive Monitoring of Forest Ecosystems CONECOFOR Aims of the paper are: i to outline the composition and design of Level II PMPs network, also examining the structural characteristics of forest stands; ii to describe the contents of mensurational surveys carried out in winter 1996/97 and 1999/00; iii to analyse the growth rates in progress at each PMP using selected descriptors. Stand origin (11 high forests and 13 stored coppices and transitory crops and the number of forest types tested are focused as the main discriminants of the PMPs network. This composition, together with irregular forestry practice, results in a number of consequences (prevailing age classes, tree densities and related stand structures, growth patterns which cause a high in-and-between variability of all growth parameters. For the purposes of this analysis, the network of the plots was divided into three main sets: broadleaved high forest (i.e. beech stands, 6 PMPs; coniferous forest (i.e. Norway spruce stands, 5 PMPs; coppice forest (i.e. deciduous and evergreen oaks, beech and hardbeam stands, 13 PMPs. The measurement of basic growth variables (dbh and tree height was used to describe the tree populations in each PMP; the calculation of basal area, mean and top dbh, mean and top height, provided the reference dataset at each inventory. The assessment of social class according to Kraft gave information on vertical stand structure and made it possible to analyse growth according to tree layers. Data comparison provided increments in the interval 1997-2000. The occurrence of natural mortality and ingrowth was also assessed to take into account their combined effect on tree population dynamics. No trend was found, due to limited data availability, but it was possible to have a detailed overview of the stand situation and growth rates in PMPs.

Academic self-efficacy, growth mindsets, and university students' integration in academic and social support networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zander, Lysann; Brouwer, Jasperina; Jansen, Ellen; Crayen, Claudia; Hannover, Bettina

Combining complete social networks and structural equation modeling, we investigate how two learning-related cognitions, academic self-efficacy and growth mindsets, relate to integration in support networks of 580 university students in 30 seminar groups. We assessed integration as popularity in

Somatic Embryogenesis in Two Orchid Genera (Cymbidium, Dendrobium).

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva, Jaime A Teixeira; Winarto, Budi

2016-01-01

The protocorm-like body (PLB) is the de facto somatic embryo in orchids. Here we describe detailed protocols for two orchid genera (hybrid Cymbidium Twilight Moon 'Day Light' and Dendrobium 'Jayakarta', D. 'Gradita 31', and D. 'Zahra FR 62') for generating PLBs. These protocols will most likely have to be tweaked for different cultivars as the response of orchids in vitro tends to be dependent on genotype. In addition to primary somatic embryogenesis, secondary (or repetitive) somatic embryogenesis is also described for both genera. The use of thin cell layers as a sensitive tissue assay is outlined for hybrid Cymbidium while the protocol outlined is suitable for bioreactor culture of D. 'Zahra FR 62'.

Monitoring somatic symptoms in patients with mental disorders: Sensitivity to change and minimal clinically important difference of the Somatic Symptom Scale - 8 (SSS-8).

Science.gov (United States)

Gierk, Benjamin; Kohlmann, Sebastian; Hagemann-Goebel, Marion; Löwe, Bernd; Nestoriuc, Yvonne

2017-09-01

The SSS-8 is a brief questionnaire for the assessment of somatic symptom burden. This study examines its sensitivity to change and the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in patients with mental disorders. 55 outpatients with mental disorders completed the SSS-8 and measures of anxiety, depression, and disability before and after receiving treatment. Effect sizes and correlations between the change scores were calculated. The MCID was estimated using a one standard error of measurement threshold and the change in disability as an external criterion. There was a medium decline in somatic symptom burden for the complete sample (n=55, d z =0.53) and a large decline in a subgroup with very high somatic symptom burden at baseline (n=11, d z =0.94). Decreases in somatic symptom burden were associated with decreases in anxiety (r=0.68, pSSS-8 is sensitive to change. A 3-point decrease reflects a clinically important improvement. Due to its brevity and sound psychometric properties, the SSS-8 is useful for monitoring somatic symptom burden. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Crecimiento somático y relación ARN/ADN en estadios juveniles de Eucinostomus argenteus (Pisces: Gerreidae en dos localidades del Caribe de Venezuela Somatic growth and RNA/DNA rate of Eucinostomus argenteus (Pisces: Gerreidae juveniles stages at two localities of the Venezuelan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Teresa Herrera-Reveles

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Con la finalidad de evaluar la asociación de índices de crecimiento en estadios tempranos de peces marinos, se estimó la tasa de crecimiento somático y las condiciones fisiológicas de Eucinostomus argenteus en dos zonas del nor-oriente venezolano: Bahía de Mochima y Golfo de Cariaco. La edad y el crecimiento fueron estimados basados en análisis de otolitos sagitta. Las condiciones fisiológicas fueron evaluadas por medio de las concentraciones de proteínas y la relación ARN/ADN, empleando técnicas espectofotométricas y fluorométricas sobre tejido muscular. Las relaciones entre tallas con la edad y el diámetro de los otolitos resultaron positivas, significativas y ajustadas a un modelo de regresión lineal. Los valores de la tasa de crecimiento reciente oscilaron entre 0.178 y 0.418mm día-1, la tasa de crecimiento retrocalculado varió entre 0.295 y 0.393mm día-1, y la tasa ARN/ADN osciló entre 1.65 y 6.97. No se registraron diferencias entre las zonas de estudio, sin embargo se reportaron diferencias entre localidades. A pesar de no encontrarse correlación entre la tasa de crecimiento y la relación ARN/ADN, los valores reportados sugieren crecimiento positivo de los individuos silvestres en las localidades evaluadas. No obstante, ciertas localidades mostraron valores que indican pobres condiciones nutricionales, pudiendo afectarse a futuro otras tasas vitales.Somatic growth and RNA/DNA rate of Eucinostomus argenteus (Pisces: Gerreidae juveniles stages at two localities of the Venezuelan Caribbean. In order to evaluate the association among growth indices of marine fishes at early life stages, the somatic growth rate and physiological conditions of Eucinostomus argenteus were estimated at two Venezuelan North-East zones: Mochima Bay and Cariaco Gulf. The age and somatic growth rate were estimated based on daily growth increments in sagitta otoliths. The physiological conditions were evaluated with proteins concentrations and RNA

Somatic Embryogenesis in Parana Pine (Araucaria angustifolia (Bert. O. Kuntze

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santos André Luis Wendt dos

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Embryogenic cultures of Araucaria angustifolia were induced from dominant and non-dominant zygotic embryos excised from immature seeds proceeding from three different genotypes and five harvest dates. Zygotic embryos were inoculated in inductive culture medium LP and BM supplemented with or without plant growth regulators 2,4-D (5 µM, BA (2 µM and Kin (2 µM. The genotype of the mother tree and the developmental explant stage affected the induction frequency. In the maintenance phase, embryogenic cultures were maintained at continuous repetitive cell cycles every 20 days in semi-solid or liquid medium. In the maturation phase the culture medium was supplemented with different types and levels of growth regulators, osmotic agents, carbohydrates and derived. Embryogenic cultures inoculated in culture medium supplemented with PEG 3350 (6 and 9%, maltose (6 and 9%, plus BA and Kin (1 µM each resulted in the progression of somatic embryos to globular and torpedo developmental stages.

Self-assembly of tetrapod-shaped CdS nanostructures into 3D networks by a transverse growth process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Xiuli; Li Dan; Zhang Lei; Xiao Jinghua; Li Jiangyan; Peng Zhijian; Fang Zheyu

2011-01-01

Spontaneous formation of 3D tetrapod-shaped CdS nanostructure networks has been achieved for the first time by vapor diffusion-deposition growth from CdS powders. The growth mechanism of the hexagonal and preferentially oriented CdS tetrapod-shaped nanostructures is a combination of the classic vapor-liquid-solid and vapor-solid processes, and the formation of a 3D network results from the spontaneous growths along the longitudinal and across the axial directions of the primarily formed CdS nanorods. Micro-photoluminescence measurements and near-field scanning optical microscopy investigations show that the synthesized CdS tetrapod networks have an excellent luminescence property and can be used as an optical waveguide cavities in which the guided light can be extremely confined.

A randomized trial of treatments for high-utilizing somatizing patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Barsky, Arthur J; Ahern, David K; Bauer, Mark R; Nolido, Nyryan; Orav, E John

2013-11-01

Somatization and hypochondriacal health anxiety are common sources of distress, impairment, and costly medical utilization in primary care practice. A range of interventions is needed to improve the care of these patients. To determine the effectiveness of two cognitive behavioral interventions for high-utilizing, somatizing patients, using the resources found in a routine care setting. Patients were randomly assigned to a two-step cognitive behavioral treatment program accompanied by a training seminar for their primary care physicians, or to relaxation training. Providers routinely working in these patients' primary care practices delivered the cognitive behavior therapy and relaxation training. A follow-up assessment was completed immediately prior to treatment and 6 and 12 months later. Eighty-nine medical outpatients with elevated levels of somatization, hypochondriacal health anxiety, and medical care utilization. Somatization and hypochondriasis, overall psychiatric distress, and role impairment were assessed with well-validated, self-report questionnaires. Outpatient visits and medical care costs before and after the intervention were obtained from the encounter claims database. At 6 month and 12 month follow-up, both intervention groups showed significant improvements in somatization (p somatization, hypochondriacal symptoms, overall psychiatric distress, and role function. They also reduced the ambulatory visits and costs of these high utilizing outpatients.

Polyphenols distributions and reserve substances analysis in cacao somatic embryogenesis

OpenAIRE

Adriana María Gallego Rúa; Ana María Henao Ramírez; Aura Inés Urrea Trujillo; Lucía Atehortúa Garcés

2016-01-01

ABSTRACTIn order to understand the causes of lack of regeneration in cacao somatic embryos, two cacao varieties with different responses to regeneration potential were described based on their capacity to store different compounds. It is well known that seed reserves play a central role in the regenerative capability of somatic embryos; thus, we followed histochemical changes and reserve fluctuations of proteins, polysaccharides and polyphenols during somatic embryogenesis (SE) in the two cac...

POLYPHENOLS DISTRIBUTION AND RESERVE SUBSTANCES ANALYSIS IN CACAO SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS

OpenAIRE

GALLEGO RÚA, Adriana María; HENAO RAMÍREZ, Ana María; URREA TRUJILLO, Aura Inés; ATEHORTÚA GARCÉS, Lucía

2016-01-01

In order to understand the causes of lack of regeneration in cacao somatic embryos, two cacao varieties with different responses to regeneration potential were described based on their capacity to store different compounds. It is well known that seed reserves play a central role in the regenerative capability of somatic embryos; thus, we followed histochemical changes and reserve fluctuations of proteins, polysaccharides and polyphenols during somatic embryogenesis (SE) in the two cacao varie...

In vitro somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration of cassava.

Science.gov (United States)

Szabados, L; Hoyos, R; Roca, W

1987-06-01

An efficient and reproducible plant regeneration system, initiated in somatic tissues, has been devised for cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). Somatic embryogenesis has been induced from shoot tips and immature leaves of in vitro shoot cultures of 15 cassava genotypes. Somatic embryos developed directly on the explants when cultured on a medium containing 4-16 mg/l 2,4-D. Differences were observed with respect to the embryogenic capacity of the explants of different varieties. Secondary embryogenesis has been induced by subculture on solid or liquid induction medium. Long term cultures were established and maintained for up to 18 months by repeated subculture of the proliferating somatic embryos. Plantlets developed from primary and secondary embryos in the presence of 0.1 mg/l BAP, 1mg/l GA3, and 0.01 mg/l 2,4-D. Regenerated plants were transferred to the field, and were grown to maturity.

Enhanced growth of neural networks on conductive cellulose-derived nanofibrous scaffolds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuzmenko, Volodymyr; Kalogeropoulos, Theodoros; Thunberg, Johannes; Johannesson, Sara; Hägg, Daniel; Enoksson, Peter; Gatenholm, Paul

2016-01-01

The problem of recovery from neurodegeneration needs new effective solutions. Tissue engineering is viewed as a prospective approach for solving this problem since it can help to develop healthy neural tissue using supportive scaffolds. This study presents effective and sustainable tissue engineering methods for creating biomaterials from cellulose that can be used either as scaffolds for the growth of neural tissue in vitro or as drug screening models. To reach this goal, nanofibrous electrospun cellulose mats were made conductive via two different procedures: carbonization and addition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The resulting scaffolds were much more conductive than untreated cellulose material and were used to support growth and differentiation of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. The cells were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy methods over a period of 15 days at different time points. The results showed that the cellulose-derived conductive scaffolds can provide support for good cell attachment, growth and differentiation. The formation of a neural network occurred within 10 days of differentiation, which is a promising length of time for SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. - Highlights: • The conductive scaffolds for neural tissue engineering are derived from cellulose. • The scaffolds are used to support growth and differentiation of SH-SY5Y cells. • Distinctive cell differentiation occurs within 10 days on conductive scaffolds. • Electrical conductivity and nanotopography improve neural network formation.

Somatic syndromes, insomnia, anxiety, and stress among sleep disordered breathing patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Amdo, Tshering; Hasaneen, Nadia; Gold, Morris S; Gold, Avram R

2016-05-01

We tested the hypothesis that the prevalence of somatic syndromes, anxiety, and insomnia among sleep disordered breathing (SDB) patients is correlated with their levels of somatic arousal, the symptoms of increased sympathetic nervous system tone under conditions of stress. We administered the Body Sensation Questionnaire (BSQ; a 17-item questionnaire with increasing levels of somatic arousal scored 17-85) to 152 consecutive upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) patients and 150 consecutive obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea (OSA/H) patients. From medical records, we characterized each patient in terms of the presence of syndromes and symptoms into three categories: somatic syndromes (six syndromes), anxiety (anxiety disorders, nightmares, use of benzodiazepines), and insomnia (sleep onset, sleep maintenance, and use of hypnotics). For the pooled sample of SDB patients, we modeled the correlation of the BSQ score with the presence of each syndrome/symptom parameter within each of the three categories, with adjustment for male vs. female. Mean BSQ scores in females were significantly higher than those in males (32.5 ± 11.1 vs. 26.9 ± 8.2; mean ± SD). Increasing BSQ scores significantly correlated with increasing prevalence rates of somatic syndromes (p insomnia (p ≤ 0.0001). In general, females had higher prevalence rates of somatic syndromes and symptoms of anxiety than males at any BSQ score while rates of insomnia were similar. In patients with SDB, there is a strong association between the level of somatic arousal and the presence of stress-related disorders like somatic syndromes, anxiety, and insomnia.

Alcohol dependence and risk of somatic diseases and mortality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holst, Charlotte; Tolstrup, Janne Schurmann; Sørensen, Holger Jelling

2017-01-01

AIMS: To (1) estimate sex-specific risks of a comprehensive spectrum of somatic diseases in alcohol-dependent individuals versus a control population, and in the same population to (2) estimate sex-specific risks of dying from the examined somatic diseases. DESIGN: Register-based matched cohort...

Mouse cloning and somatic cell reprogramming using electrofused blastomeres.

Science.gov (United States)

Riaz, Amjad; Zhao, Xiaoyang; Dai, Xiangpeng; Li, Wei; Liu, Lei; Wan, Haifeng; Yu, Yang; Wang, Liu; Zhou, Qi

2011-05-01

Mouse cloning from fertilized eggs can assist development of approaches for the production of "genetically tailored" human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines that are not constrained by the limitations of oocyte availability. However, to date only zygotes have been successfully used as recipients of nuclei from terminally differentiated somatic cell donors leading to ES cell lines. In fertility clinics, embryos of advanced embryonic stages are usually stored for future use, but their ability to support the derivation of ES cell lines via somatic nuclear transfer has not yet been proved. Here, we report that two-cell stage electrofused mouse embryos, arrested in mitosis, can support developmental reprogramming of nuclei from donor cells ranging from blastomeres to somatic cells. Live, full-term cloned pups from embryonic donors, as well as pluripotent ES cell lines from embryonic or somatic donors, were successfully generated from these reconstructed embryos. Advanced stage pre-implantation embryos were unable to develop normally to term after electrofusion and transfer of a somatic cell nucleus, indicating that discarded pre-implantation human embryos could be an important resource for research that minimizes the ethical concerns for human therapeutic cloning. Our approach provides an attractive and practical alternative to therapeutic cloning using donated oocytes for the generation of patient-specific human ES cell lines.

POLE somatic mutations in advanced colorectal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Guerra, Joana; Pinto, Carla; Pinto, Diana; Pinheiro, Manuela; Silva, Romina; Peixoto, Ana; Rocha, Patrícia; Veiga, Isabel; Santos, Catarina; Santos, Rui; Cabreira, Verónica; Lopes, Paula; Henrique, Rui; Teixeira, Manuel R

2017-12-01

Despite all the knowledge already gathered, the picture of somatic genetic changes in colorectal tumorigenesis is far from complete. Recently, germline and somatic mutations in the exonuclease domain of polymerase epsilon, catalytic subunit (POLE) gene have been reported in a small subset of microsatellite-stable and hypermutated colorectal carcinomas (CRCs), affecting the proofreading activity of the enzyme and leading to misincorporation of bases during DNA replication. To evaluate the role of POLE mutations in colorectal carcinogenesis, namely in advanced CRC, we searched for somatic mutations by Sanger sequencing in tumor DNA samples from 307 cases. Microsatellite instability and mutation analyses of a panel of oncogenes were performed in the tumors harboring POLE mutations. Three heterozygous mutations were found in two tumors, the c.857C>G, p.Pro286Arg, the c.901G>A, p.Asp301Asn, and the c.1376C>T, p.Ser459Phe. Of the POLE-mutated CRCs, one tumor was microsatellite-stable and the other had low microsatellite instability, whereas KRAS and PIK3CA mutations were found in one tumor each. We conclude that POLE somatic mutations exist but are rare in advanced CRC, with further larger studies being necessary to evaluate its biological and clinical implications. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pre-procambial cells are niches for pluripotent and totipotent stem-like cells for organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis in the peach palm: a histological study.

Science.gov (United States)

de Almeida, Marcilio; de Almeida, Cristina Vieira; Mendes Graner, Erika; Ebling Brondani, Gilvano; Fiori de Abreu-Tarazi, Monita

2012-08-01

The direct induction of adventitious buds and somatic embryos from explants is a morphogenetic process that is under the influence of exogenous plant growth regulators and its interactions with endogenous phytohormones. We performed an in vitro histological analysis in peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) shoot apexes and determined that the positioning of competent cells and their interaction with neighboring cells, under the influence of combinations of exogenously applied growth regulators (NAA/BAP and NAA/TDZ), allows the pre-procambial cells (PPCs) to act in different morphogenic pathways to establish niche competent cells. It is likely that there has been a habituation phenomenon during the regeneration and development of the microplants. This includes promoting the tillering of primary or secondary buds due to culturing in the absence of NAA/BAP or NAA/TDZ after a period in the presence of these growth regulators. Histological analyses determined that the adventitious roots were derived from the dedifferentiation of the parenchymal cells located in the basal region of the adventitious buds, with the establishment of rooting pole, due to an auxin gradient. Furthermore, histological and histochemical analyses allowed us to characterize how the PPCs provide niches for multipotent, pluripotent and totipotent stem-like cells for vascular differentiation, organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis in the peach palm. The histological and histochemical analyses also allowed us to detect the unicellular or multicellular origin of somatic embryogenesis. Therefore, our results indicate that the use of growth regulators in microplants can lead to habituation and to different morphogenic pathways leading to potential niche establishment, depending on the positioning of the competent cells and their interaction with neighboring cells. Our results indicate that the use of growth regulators in microplants can lead to habituation and to different morphogenic pathways leading to

Characterization of somatic embryo attached structures in Feijoa sellowiana Berg. (Myrtaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, Sandra M; Canhoto, Jorge M

2010-06-01

The presence of an attached organ to somatic embryos of angiosperms connecting the embryo to the supporting tissue has been a subject of controversy. This study shows that 67% of the morphologically normal somatic embryos of Feijoa sellowiana possess this type of organ and that its formation was not affected by culture media composition. Histological and ultrastructural analysis indicated that the attached structures of somatic embryos displayed a great morphological diversity ranging from a few cells to massive and columnar structures. This contrast with the simple suspensors observed in zygotic embryos which were only formed by five cells. As well as the suspensor of zygotic embryos, somatic embryo attached structures undergo a process of degeneration in later stages of embryo development. Other characteristic shared by zygotic suspensors and somatic embryo attached structures was the presence of thick cell walls surrounding the cells. Elongated thin filaments were often associated with the structures attached to somatic embryos, whereas in other cases, tubular cells containing starch grains connected the embryo to the supporting tissue. These characteristics associated with the presence of plasmodesmata in the cells of the attached structures seem to indicate a role on embryo nutrition. However, cell proliferation in the attached structures resulting into new somatic embryos may also suggest a more complex relationship between the embryo and the structures connecting it to the supporting tissue.

Improving somatic health of outpatients with severe mental illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Hasselt, Fenneke M.; Oud, Marian J. T.; Krabbe, Paul F. M.; Postma, Maarten J.; Loonen, A.J.M.

2014-01-01

Background: Patients with severe mental illness (SMI) experience a 13-to 30-year reduction in life expectancy compared with the general population. The majority of these deaths can be attributed to somatic health problems. The risk on somatic health problems is partly increased due to a reduced

Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from leaf explants of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An attempt was made to study the somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from the in vitro leaf explants of Rumex vesicarius L. a renowned medicinal plant, which belongs to polygonaceae family. Effective in vitro regeneration of R. vesicarius was achieved via young leaf derived somatic embryo cultures.

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Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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Somatic mutations in histiocytic sarcoma identified by next generation sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qingqing; Tomaszewicz, Keith; Hutchinson, Lloyd; Hornick, Jason L; Woda, Bruce; Yu, Hongbo

2016-08-01

Histiocytic sarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of presumed hematopoietic origin showing morphologic and immunophenotypic evidence of histiocytic differentiation. Somatic mutation importance in the pathogenesis or disease progression of histiocytic sarcoma was largely unknown. To identify somatic mutations in histiocytic sarcoma, we studied 5 histiocytic sarcomas [3 female and 2 male patients; mean age 54.8 (20-72), anatomic sites include lymph node, uterus, and pleura] and matched normal tissues from each patient as germ line controls. Somatic mutations in 50 "Hotspot" oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes were examined using next generation sequencing. Three (out of five) histiocytic sarcoma cases carried somatic mutations in BRAF. Among them, G464V [variant frequency (VF) of 43.6 %] and G466R (VF of 29.6 %) located at the P loop potentially interfere with the hydrophobic interaction between P and activating loops and ultimately activation of BRAF. Also detected was BRAF somatic mutation N581S (VF of 7.4 %), which was located at the catalytic loop of BRAF kinase domain: its role in modifying kinase activity was unclear. A similar mutational analysis was also performed on nine acute monocytic/monoblastic leukemia cases, which did not identify any BRAF somatic mutations. Our study detected several BRAF mutations in histiocytic sarcomas, which may be important in understanding the tumorigenesis of this rare neoplasm and providing mechanisms for potential therapeutical opportunities.

Hypochondriasis and somatization: two distinct aspects of somatoform disorders?

Science.gov (United States)

Leibbrand, R; Hiller, W; Fichter, M M

2000-01-01

We investigated boundaries and overlap between somatization and hypochondriasis on different levels of psychopathology: (1) comorbidity between hypochondriasis and somatization on the level of diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994): (2) comorbidity with other mental disorders; (3) differences in clinical characteristics: and (4) overlap on the level of psychometric measures. The sample consisted of 120 psycho somatic inpatients. Somatoform, hypochondriacal, and depressive symptomatology, cognitions about body and health, and further aspects of general symptomatology were investigated. Diagnoses of Axis I and II were based on DSM-IV Our results suggest a large overlap on the level of DSM-IV-diagnoses: only 3 of 31 hypochondriacal patients had no multiple somatoform symptoms, while 58 of 86 patients with multiple somatoform symptoms had no hypochondriasis. However, the overlap between hypochondriacal and somatization symptomatology on the level of psychometric measurement is only moderate, indicating that hypochondriasis is a markedly distinct aspect of somatoform disorders.

Zygotic and somatic embryo morphogenesis in Pinus pinaster: comparative histological and histochemical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tereso, Susana; Zoglauer, Kurt; Milhinhos, Ana; Miguel, Célia; Oliveira, M Margarida

2007-05-01

We compared morphogenesis and accumulation of storage proteins and starch in Pinus pinaster Ait. zygotic embryos with those in somatic embryos grown with different carbohydrate sources. The maturation medium for somatic embryos included 80 microM abscisic acid (ABA), 9 g l(-1) gellam gum and either glucose, sucrose or maltose at 44, 88, 175 or 263 mM in the presence or absence of 6% (w/v) polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 MW. Maturation medium containing 44 or 88 mM of a carbohydrate source produced only one or no cotyledonary somatic embryos per 0.6 g fresh mass of culture. The addition of PEG to the basal maturation medium resulted in a low yield of cotyledonary somatic embryos that generally showed incomplete development and anatomical abnormalities such as large intercellular spaces and large vacuoles. High concentrations of maltose also induced large intercellular spaces in the somatic embryonic cells, and 263 mM sucrose produced fewer and less developed cotyledonary somatic embryos compared with 175 mM sucrose, indicating that the effect of carbohydrate source is partially osmotic. Zygotic embryos had a lower dry mass than somatic embryos at the same stage of development. Starch granules followed a similar accumulation pattern in zygotic and somatic embryos. A low starch content was found in cotyledonary zygotic embryos and in somatic embryos developed in the presence of 175 mM maltose or 263 mM glucose. In zygotic embryos and in PEG-treated somatic embryos, protein bodies appeared later and were smaller and fewer than in well-developed somatic embryos grown without PEG. We propose that storage protein concentration might be a marker of embryo quality.

Behavioral Variability and Somatic Mosaicism: A Cytogenomic Hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vorsanova, Svetlana G; Zelenova, Maria A; Yurov, Yuri B; Iourov, Ivan Y

2018-04-01

Behavioral sciences are inseparably related to genetics. A variety of neurobehavioral phenotypes are suggested to result from genomic variations. However, the contribution of genetic factors to common behavioral disorders (i.e. autism, schizophrenia, intellectual disability) remains to be understood when an attempt to link behavioral variability to a specific genomic change is made. Probably, the least appreciated genetic mechanism of debilitating neurobehavioral disorders is somatic mosaicism or the occurrence of genetically diverse (neuronal) cells in an individual's brain. Somatic mosaicism is assumed to affect directly the brain being associated with specific behavioral patterns. As shown in studies of chromosome abnormalities (syndromes), genetic mosaicism is able to change dynamically the phenotype due to inconsistency of abnormal cell proportions. Here, we hypothesize that brain-specific postzygotic changes of mosaicism levels are able to modulate variability of behavioral phenotypes. More precisely, behavioral phenotype variability in individuals exhibiting somatic mosaicism might correlate with changes in the amount of genetically abnormal cells throughout the lifespan. If proven, the hypothesis can be used as a basis for therapeutic interventions through regulating levels of somatic mosaicism to increase functioning and to improve overall condition of individuals with behavioral problems.

Horizontal and vertical growth of S. cerevisiae metabolic network.

KAUST Repository

Grassi, Luigi

2011-10-14

BACKGROUND: The growth and development of a biological organism is reflected by its metabolic network, the evolution of which relies on the essential gene duplication mechanism. There are two current views about the evolution of metabolic networks. The retrograde model hypothesizes that a pathway evolves by recruiting novel enzymes in a direction opposite to the metabolic flow. The patchwork model is instead based on the assumption that the evolution is based on the exploitation of broad-specificity enzymes capable of catalysing a variety of metabolic reactions. RESULTS: We analysed a well-studied unicellular eukaryotic organism, S. cerevisiae, and studied the effect of the removal of paralogous gene products on its metabolic network. Our results, obtained using different paralog and network definitions, show that, after an initial period when gene duplication was indeed instrumental in expanding the metabolic space, the latter reached an equilibrium and subsequent gene duplications were used as a source of more specialized enzymes rather than as a source of novel reactions. We also show that the switch between the two evolutionary strategies in S. cerevisiae can be dated to about 350 million years ago. CONCLUSIONS: Our data, obtained through a novel analysis methodology, strongly supports the hypothesis that the patchwork model better explains the more recent evolution of the S. cerevisiae metabolic network. Interestingly, the effects of a patchwork strategy acting before the Euascomycete-Hemiascomycete divergence are still detectable today.

Restriction endonuclease analysis of chloroplast DNA in interspecies somatic Hybrids of Petunia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, A; Cocking, E C; Bovenberg, W A; Kool, A J

1982-12-01

Restriction endonuclease cleavage pattern analysis of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) of three different interspecific somatic hybrid plants revealed that the cytoplasms of the hybrids contained only cpDNA of P. parodii. The somatic hybrid plants analysed were those between P. parodii (wild type) + P. hybrida (wild type); P. parodii (wild type)+P. inflata (cytoplasmic albino mutant); P. parodii (wild type) + P. parviflora (nuclear albino mutant). The presence of only P. parodii chloroplasts in the somatic hybrid of P. parodii + P. inflata is possibly due to the stringent selection used for somatic hybrid production. However, in the case of the two other somatic hybrids P. parodii + P. hybrida and P. parodii + P. parviflora it was not possible to determine whether the presence of only P. parodii chloroplasts in these somatic hybrid plants was due to the nature of the selection schemes used or simply occurred by chance. The relevance of such somatic hybrid material for the study of genomic-cytoplasmic interaction is discussed, as well as the use of restriction endonuclease fragment patterns for the analysis of taxonomic and evolutionary inter-relationships in the genus Petunia.

Fibril growth kinetics link buffer conditions and topology of 3D collagen I networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalbitzer, Liv; Pompe, Tilo

2018-02-01

Three-dimensional fibrillar networks reconstituted from collagen I are widely used as biomimetic scaffolds for in vitro and in vivo cell studies. Various physicochemical parameters of buffer conditions for in vitro fibril formation are well known, including pH-value, ion concentrations and temperature. However, there is a lack of a detailed understanding of reconstituting well-defined 3D network topologies, which is required to mimic specific properties of the native extracellular matrix. We screened a wide range of relevant physicochemical buffer conditions and characterized the topology of the reconstituted 3D networks in terms of mean pore size and fibril diameter. A congruent analysis of fibril formation kinetics by turbidimetry revealed the adjustment of the lateral growth phase of fibrils by buffer conditions to be key in the determination of pore size and fibril diameter of the networks. Although the kinetics of nucleation and linear growth phase were affected by buffer conditions as well, network topology was independent of those two growth phases. Overall, the results of our study provide necessary insights into how to engineer 3D collagen matrices with an independent control over topology parameters, in order to mimic in vivo tissues in in vitro experiments and tissue engineering applications. The study reports a comprehensive analysis of physicochemical conditions of buffer solutions to reconstitute defined 3D collagen I matrices. By a combined analysis of network topology, i.e., pore size and fibril diameter, and the kinetics of fibril formation we can reveal the dependence of 3D network topology on buffer conditions, such as pH-value, phosphate concentration and sodium chloride content. With those results we are now able to provide engineering strategies to independently tune the topology parameters of widely used 3D collagen scaffolds based on the buffer conditions. By that, we enable the straightforward mimicking of extracellular matrices of in vivo

Cellular Mechanisms of Somatic Stem Cell Aging

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Yunjoon

2014-01-01

Tissue homeostasis and regenerative capacity rely on rare populations of somatic stem cells endowed with the potential to self-renew and differentiate. During aging, many tissues show a decline in regenerative potential coupled with a loss of stem cell function. Cells including somatic stem cells have evolved a series of checks and balances to sense and repair cellular damage to maximize tissue function. However, during aging the mechanisms that protect normal cell function begin to fail. In this review, we will discuss how common cellular mechanisms that maintain tissue fidelity and organismal lifespan impact somatic stem cell function. We will highlight context-dependent changes and commonalities that define aging, by focusing on three age-sensitive stem cell compartments: blood, neural, and muscle. Understanding the interaction between extrinsic regulators and intrinsic effectors that operate within different stem cell compartments is likely to have important implications for identifying strategies to improve health span and treat age-related degenerative diseases. PMID:24439814

Characterization of Regenerative Phenotype of Unrestricted Somatic Stem Cells (USSC) from Human Umbilical Cord Blood (hUCB) by Functional Secretome Analysis*

Science.gov (United States)

Schira, Jessica; Falkenberg, Heiner; Hendricks, Marion; Waldera-Lupa, Daniel M.; Kögler, Gesine; Meyer, Helmut E.; Müller, Hans Werner; Stühler, Kai

2015-01-01

Stem cell transplantation is a promising therapeutic strategy to enhance axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury. Unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSC) isolated from human umbilical cord blood is an attractive stem cell population available at GMP grade without any ethical concerns. It has been shown that USSC transplantation into acute injured rat spinal cords leads to axonal regrowth and significant locomotor recovery, yet lacking cell replacement. Instead, USSC secrete trophic factors enhancing neurite growth of primary cortical neurons in vitro. Here, we applied a functional secretome approach characterizing proteins secreted by USSC for the first time and validated candidate neurite growth promoting factors using primary cortical neurons in vitro. By mass spectrometric analysis and exhaustive bioinformatic interrogation we identified 1156 proteins representing the secretome of USSC. Using Gene Ontology we revealed that USSC secretome contains proteins involved in a number of relevant biological processes of nerve regeneration such as cell adhesion, cell motion, blood vessel formation, cytoskeleton organization and extracellular matrix organization. We found for instance that 31 well-known neurite growth promoting factors like, e.g. neuronal growth regulator 1, NDNF, SPARC, and PEDF span the whole abundance range of USSC secretome. By the means of primary cortical neurons in vitro assays we verified SPARC and PEDF as significantly involved in USSC mediated neurite growth and therewith underline their role in improved locomotor recovery after transplantation. From our data we are convinced that USSC are a valuable tool in regenerative medicine as USSC's secretome contains a comprehensive network of trophic factors supporting nerve regeneration not only by a single process but also maintained its regenerative phenotype by a multitude of relevant biological processes. PMID:26183719

From culture to symptom: Testing a structural model of "Chinese somatization".

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xiaolu; Peng, Yunshi; Zhu, Xiongzhao; Yao, Shuqiao; Dere, Jessica; Chentsova-Dutton, Yulia E; Ryder, Andrew G

2016-02-01

"Chinese somatization" has been frequently discussed over the past three decades of cultural psychiatry, and has more recently been demonstrated in cross-national comparisons. Empirical studies of potential explanations are lacking, however. Ryder and Chentsova-Dutton (2012) proposed that Chinese somatization can be understood as a cultural script for depression, noting that the literature is divided on whether this script primarily involves felt bodily experience or a stigma-avoiding communication strategy. Two samples from Hunan province, China-one of undergraduate students (n = 213) and one of depressed psychiatric outpatients (n = 281)-completed the same set of self-report questionnaires, including a somatization questionnaire developed in Chinese. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that Chinese somatization could be understood as two correlated factors: one focusing on the experience and expression of distress, the other on its conceptualization and communication. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that traditional Chinese cultural values are associated with both of these factors, but only bodily experience is associated with somatic depressive symptoms. This study takes a first step towards directly evaluating explanations for Chinese somatization, pointing the way to future multimethod investigations of this cultural script. © The Author(s) 2015.

Perceived social support and life satisfaction in persons with somatization disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arif Ali

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Life satisfaction and perceived social support been shown to improve the well-being of a person and also affect the outcome of treatment in somatization disorder. The phenomenon of somatization was explored in relation to the perceived social support and life satisfaction. Aim: This study aimed at investigating perceived social support and life satisfaction in people with somatization disorder. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on persons having somatization disorder attending the outpatient unit of LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam. Satisfaction with life scale and multidimensional scale of perceived social support were used to assess life satisfaction and perceived social support respectively. Results: Women reported more somatic symptoms than men. Family perceived social support was high in the patient in comparison to significant others′ perceived social support and friends′ perceived social support. Perceived social support showed that a significant positive correlation was found with life satisfaction. Conclusion: Poor social support and low life satisfaction might be a stress response with regard to increased distress severity and psychosocial stressors rather than a cultural response to express psychological problems in somatic terms.

Cloning animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer – biological factors

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, X Cindy; Kubota, Chikara; Enright, Brian; Yang, Xiangzhong

2003-01-01

Cloning by nuclear transfer using mammalian somatic cells has enormous potential application. However, somatic cloning has been inefficient in all species in which live clones have been produced. High abortion and fetal mortality rates are commonly observed. These developmental defects have been attributed to incomplete reprogramming of the somatic nuclei by the cloning process. Various strategies have been used to improve the efficiency of nuclear transfer, however, significant breakthroughs are yet to happen. In this review we will discuss studies conducted, in our laboratories and those of others, to gain a better understanding of nuclear reprogramming. Because cattle are a species widely used for nuclear transfer studies, and more laboratories have succeeded in cloning cattle than any other specie, this review will be focused on somatic cell cloning of cattle. PMID:14614770

Evaluation of porcine stem cells competence for somatic cell nuclear transfer and production of cloned animals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Secher, Jan; Liu, Ying; Petkov, Stoyan

2017-01-01

Porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has been used extensively to create genetically modified pigs, but the efficiency of the methodology is still low. It has been hypothesized that pluripotent or multipotent stem cells might result in increased SCNT efficacy as these cells are closer than...... somatic cells to the epigenetic state found in the blastomeres and therefore need less reprogramming. Our group has worked with porcine SCNT during the last 20 years and here we describe our experience with SCNT of 3 different stem cell lines. The porcine stem cells used were: Induced pluripotent stem...... cells (iPSCs) created by lentiviral doxycycline-dependent reprogramming and cultered with a GSK3β- and MEK-inhibitor (2i) and leukemia inhibitor factor (LIF) (2i LIF DOX-iPSCs), iPSCs created by a plasmid-based reprogramming and cultured with 2i and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) (2i FGF Pl...

Human somatic cell nuclear transfer and cloning.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-01

This document presents arguments that conclude that it is unethical to use somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) for infertility treatment due to concerns about safety; the unknown impact of SCNT on children, families, and society; and the availability of other ethically acceptable means of assisted reproduction. This document replaces the ASRM Ethics Committee report titled, "Human somatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning)," last published in Fertil Steril 2000;74:873-6. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Continuing Growth of Global Cooperation Networks in Research: A Conundrum for National Governments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline S Wagner

Full Text Available Global collaboration continues to grow as a share of all scientific cooperation, measured as coauthorships of peer-reviewed, published papers. The percent of all scientific papers that are internationally coauthored has more than doubled in 20 years, and they account for all the growth in output among the scientifically advanced countries. Emerging countries, particularly China, have increased their participation in global science, in part by doubling their spending on R&D; they are increasingly likely to appear as partners on internationally coauthored scientific papers. Given the growth of connections at the international level, it is helpful to examine the phenomenon as a communications network and to consider the network as a new organization on the world stage that adds to and complements national systems. When examined as interconnections across the globe over two decades, a global network has grown denser but not more clustered, meaning there are many more connections but they are not grouping into exclusive 'cliques'. This suggests that power relationships are not reproducing those of the political system. The network has features an open system, attracting productive scientists to participate in international projects. National governments could gain efficiencies and influence by developing policies and strategies designed to maximize network benefits-a model different from those designed for national systems.

Fragmented Romanian sociology: growth and structure of the collaboration network.

Science.gov (United States)

Hâncean, Marian-Gabriel; Perc, Matjaž; Vlăsceanu, Lazăr

2014-01-01

Structural patterns in collaboration networks are essential for understanding how new ideas, research practices, innovation or cooperation circulate and develop within academic communities and between and within university departments. In our research, we explore and investigate the structure of the collaboration network formed by the academics working full-time within all the 17 sociology departments across Romania. We show that the collaboration network is sparse and fragmented, and that it constitutes an environment that does not promote the circulation of new ideas and innovation within the field. Although recent years have witnessed an increase in the productivity of Romanian sociologists, there is still ample room for improvement in terms of the interaction infrastructure that ought to link individuals together so that they could maximize their potentials. We also fail to discern evidence in favor of the Matthew effect governing the growth of the network, which suggests scientific success and productivity are not rewarded. Instead, the structural properties of the collaboration network are partly those of a core-periphery network, where the spread of innovation and change can be explained by structural equivalence rather than by interpersonal influence models. We also provide support for the idea that, within the observed network, collaboration is the product of homophily rather than prestige effects. Further research on the subject based on data from other countries in the region is needed to place our results in a comparative framework, in particular to discern whether the behavior of the Romanian sociologist community is unique or rather common.

Global Business Networks and Cooperation within Supply Chain as a Strategy of High-Tech Companies’ Growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milena Ratajczak-Mrozek

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The specificity of the operation profile of high-tech companies, including the necessity of operating at the international scale may account for the fact that these companies may find in network relationships, business networks and cooperation an essential determinant for growth and competitiveness. Foreign entities should be especially interesting business partners for high- tech companies, as they are often seen as representing more advanced knowledge, resources and experience. The aim of the article is to point out to global business networks (i.e. including both local and foreign entities, and especially to cooperation within supply chain, as an important basis for a growth strategy of a high-tech company. The article adopts assumptions of the network approach as a concept of companies cooperation. An analysis of the author’s own as well as secondary empirical research, with the focus on high- tech companies located in Poland is presented. In particular, the data from own research of 62 high-tech companies in Poland conducted in the first half of 2011 is analysed. It shows that the high-tech companies placing great importance on cooperation within supply chain demonstrate a higher growth and level of competitiveness than the companies which do not ascribe such importance (bearing in mind that supply chain forms an important part of a business network.

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Flow cytometric and morphological analyses of Pinus pinaster somatic embryogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Marum, Liliana; Loureiro, João; Rodriguez, Eleazar; Santos, Conceição; Oliveira, M Margarida; Miguel, Célia

2009-09-25

An approach combining morphological profiling and flow cytometric analysis was used to assess genetic stability during the several steps of somatic embryogenesis in Pinus pinaster. Embryogenic cell lines of P. pinaster were established from immature zygotic embryos excised from seeds obtained from open-pollinated trees. During the maturation stage, phenotype of somatic embryos was characterized as being either normal or abnormal. Based upon the prevalent morphological traits, different types of abnormal embryos underwent further classification and quantification. Nuclear DNA content of maritime pine using the zygotic embryos was estimated to be 57.04 pg/2C, using propidium iodide flow cytometry. According to the same methodology, no significant differences (P< or =0.01) in DNA ploidy were detected among the most frequently observed abnormal phenotypes, embryogenic cell lines, zygotic and normal somatic embryos, and somatic embryogenesis-derived plantlets. Although the differences in DNA ploidy level do not exclude the occurrence of a low level of aneuploidy, the results obtained point to the absence of major changes in ploidy level during the somatic embryogenesis process of this economically important species. Therefore, our primary goal of true-to-typeness was assured at this level.

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Water relations in culture media influence maturation of avocado somatic embryos.

Science.gov (United States)

Márquez-Martín, Belén; Sesmero, Rafael; Quesada, Miguel A; Pliego-Alfaro, Fernando; Sánchez-Romero, Carolina

2011-11-15

Application of transformation and other biotechnological tools in avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is hampered by difficulties in obtaining mature somatic embryos capable of germination at an acceptable rate. In this work, we evaluated the effect of different compounds affecting medium water relations on maturation of avocado somatic embryos. Culture media were characterized with respect to gel strength, water potential and osmotic potential. Improved production of mature somatic embryos was achieved with gelling agent concentrations higher than those considered standard. The osmotic agents such as sorbitol and PEG did not have positive effects on embryo maturation. The number of w-o mature somatic embryos per culture was positively correlated with medium gel strength. Gel strength was significantly affected by gelling agent type as well as by gelling agent and PEG concentration. Medium water potential was influenced by sorbitol concentration; incorporation of PEG to a culture medium did not affect medium water potential. The highest maturation results were achieved on a medium gelled with 10 gl(-1) agar. Moreover, these somatic embryos had improved germination rates. These results corroborate the role of water restriction as a key factor controlling maturation of somatic embryos. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The somatic mutation landscape of premalignant colorectal adenoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shu-Hong; Raju, Gottumukkala S; Huff, Chad; Ye, Yuanqing; Gu, Jian; Chen, Jiun-Sheng; Hildebrandt, Michelle A T; Liang, Han; Menter, David G; Morris, Jeffery; Hawk, Ernest; Stroehlein, John R; Futreal, Andrew; Kopetz, Scott; Mishra, Lopa; Wu, Xifeng

2017-06-12

There are few studies which characterised the molecular alterations in premalignant colorectal adenomas. Our major goal was to establish colorectal adenoma genome atlas and identify molecular markers of progression from colorectal adenoma to adenocarcinoma. Whole-exome sequencing and targeted sequencing were carried out in 149 adenoma samples and paired blood from patients with conventional adenoma or sessile serrated adenoma to characterise the somatic mutation landscape for premalignant colorectal lesions. The identified somatic mutations were compared with those in colorectal cancer (CRC) samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas. A supervised random forest model was employed to identify gene panels differentiating adenoma from CRC. Similar somatic mutation frequencies, but distinctive driver mutations, were observed in sessile serrated adenomas and conventional adenomas. The final model included 20 genes and was able to separate the somatic mutation profile of colorectal adenoma and adenocarcinoma with an area under the curve of 0.941. The findings of this project hold potential to better identify patients with adenoma who may be candidates for targeted surveillance programmes and preventive interventions to reduce the incidence of CRC. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Post-embryonic development of Camallanus cotti (Nematoda: Camallanidae), with emphasis on growth of some taxonomically important somatic characters.

Science.gov (United States)

Levsen, Arne; Berland, Bjørn

2002-01-01

In this paper, the quantitative post-embryonic development of the Asian freshwater fish nematode Camallanus cotti Fujita, 1927, is described. Larval and adult morphometrics were obtained by following the parasite's life cycle experimentally using copepods Macrocyclops albidus (Jurine) as intermediate host and guppies Poecilia reticulata (Peters), southern platyfish Xiphophorus maculatus (Günther) and paradise fish Macropodus opercularis (L.) as definitive host. Additionally, adult worms were obtained from heavily infected paradise fish imported from Singapore. It is suggested that the gradual change in proportions of the worm's somatic body parts reflects the specific ecological role of each developmental stage. The free-living infective first-stage larva seems to be adapted for transmission, as indicated by its relatively long tail, designed to generate host-attracting movements, and its non-functional intestine. The second- and third-stage larvae from the copepod intermediate host seem mainly to invest in trophic functionality, i.e., the development of the buccal capsule and the oesophagus, which are crucial structures for the worm's successful establishment in the definitive fish host. Once in the fish intestine, the larvae enter a period of considerable growth. After the fourth (i.e., last) moult, a 72% increase in average female body length occurs. This is accompanied by doubling the average vulva-tail tip distance and the average tail length. The length of the female hind body expands in an accelerating allometric fashion, and seems to be closely linked to the posterior-wards expansion of the uterus. In the males however, growth seems to cease after the final moult. We conclude that female post-maturational body size, but especially the length of the hind body and the tail, are closely related to reproductive state, i.e., the developmental stage of the offspring in the uterus, and, probably, the worms' age. Any future taxonomical studies of camallanids in

Buffalo milk: proteins electrophoretic profile and somatic cell count

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Mattii

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Water buffalo milk differs from the cow’s milk for greater fat and protein content, very important features in cheese making. Proteins, casein and whey-proteins in particular, are the most important factors determining cheese yield. Several previous research discussed the rule of SCC in cow milk production (Varisco, 1999 and the close relationship existing between cow’s milk cheese yield and somatic cell count (Barbano, 2000. In particular the inverse correlation between cheese yields and somatic cells’content have been demonstrated. In Italy the regulation in force DPR 54/97 acknowledges what expressed in EEC 46/92 Directive (Tripodi, 1999 without fixing the limit threshold of somatic cells for buffalo’s milk....

Integrated healthcare networks' performance: a growth curve modeling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Thomas T H; Wang, Bill B L

2003-05-01

This study examines the effects of integration on the performance ratings of the top 100 integrated healthcare networks (IHNs) in the United States. A strategic-contingency theory is used to identify the relationship of IHNs' performance to their structural and operational characteristics and integration strategies. To create a database for the panel study, the top 100 IHNs selected by the SMG Marketing Group in 1998 were followed up in 1999 and 2000. The data were merged with the Dorenfest data on information system integration. A growth curve model was developed and validated by the Mplus statistical program. Factors influencing the top 100 IHNs' performance in 1998 and their subsequent rankings in the consecutive years were analyzed. IHNs' initial performance scores were positively influenced by network size, number of affiliated physicians and profit margin, and were negatively associated with average length of stay and technical efficiency. The continuing high performance, judged by maintaining higher performance scores, tended to be enhanced by the use of more managerial or executive decision-support systems. Future studies should include time-varying operational indicators to serve as predictors of network performance.

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Neurofibromin regulates somatic growth through the hypothalamic–pituitary axis

Science.gov (United States)

Hegedus, Balazs; Yeh, Tu-Hsueh; Lee, Da Yong; Emnett, Ryan J.; Li, Jia; Gutmann, David H.

2008-01-01

To study the role of the neurofibromatosis-1 (NF1) gene in mammalian brain development, we recently generated mice in which Nf1 gene inactivation occurs in neuroglial progenitor cells using the brain lipid binding protein (BLBP) promoter. We found that Nf1BLBPCKO mice exhibit significantly reduced body weights and anterior pituitary gland sizes. We further demonstrate that the small anterior pituitary size reflects loss of neurofibromin expression in the hypothalamus, leading to reduced growth hormone releasing hormone, pituitary growth hormone (GH) and liver insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) production. Since neurofibromin both negatively regulates Ras activity and positively modulates cAMP levels, we examined the signaling pathway responsible for these abnormalities. While BLBP-mediated expression of an activated Ras molecule did not recapitulate the body weight and hypothalamic/pituitary defects, treatment of Nf1BLBPCKO mice with rolipram to increase cAMP levels resulted in a partial restoration of the body weight phenotype. Furthermore, conditional expression of the Ras regulatory GAP domain of neurofibromin also did not rescue the body weight or Igf1 mRNA defects in Nf1BLBPCKO mice. Collectively, these data demonstrate a critical role for neurofibromin in hypothalamic–pituitary axis function and provide further insights into the short stature and GH deficits seen in children with NF1. PMID:18614544

Development of Somatic Embryo Maturation and Growing Techniques of Norway Spruce Emblings towards Large-Scale Field Testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikko Tikkinen

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The possibility to utilize non-additive genetic gain in planting stock has increased the interest towards vegetative propagation. In Finland, the increased planting of Norway spruce combined with fluctuant seed yields has resulted in shortages of improved regeneration material. Somatic embryogenesis is an attractive method to rapidly facilitate breeding results, not in the least, because juvenile propagation material can be cryostored for decades. Further development of technology for the somatic embryogenesis of Norway spruce is essential, as the high cost of somatic embryo plants (emblings limits deployment. We examined the effects of maturation media varying in abscisic acid (20, 30 or 60 µM and polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG concentrations, as well as the effect of cryopreservation cycles on embryo production, and the effects of two growing techniques on embling survival and growth. Embryo production and nursery performance of 712 genotypes from 12 full-sib families were evaluated. Most embryos per gram of fresh embryogenic mass (296 ± 31 were obtained by using 30 µM abscisic acid without PEG in the maturation media. Transplanting the emblings into nursery after one-week in vitro germination resulted in 77% survival and the tallest emblings after the first growing season. Genotypes with good production properties were found in all families.

Somatic perception, cultural differences and immigration: results from administration of the Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire (MSPQ to a sample of immigrants

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Bragazzi NL

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Giovanni Del Puente, Werner Maria NattaDepartment of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, ItalyAbstract: The number of immigrants in Italy has doubled every 10 years from 1972 and Genoa hosts two large communities of immigrants from South America and Africa. We investigated differences in the somatic perception between immigrants and Italians and between South Americans and Africans living in the city of Genoa. During a 7 month period, an anonymous questionnaire asking for sociodemographic information and the Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire (MSPQ were administered to all immigrants accessing an outpatient clinic or the general practitioners offices. MSPQ mean scores were significantly higher in immigrant patients than in Italian patients, after adjusting for sex and age differences. We found no differences between South Americans and Africans in MSPQ score. The tendency to express discomfort through physical symptoms appears to be related to being a foreigner who arrived in Italy through a migratory trip and also to being a person who comes from a cultural context that is very different from the one of developed countries.Keywords: immigrants, Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire (MSPQ, somatization, transcultural psychiatry

Somatic Diseases and Conditions Before the First Diagnosis of Schizophrenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Holger J; Nielsen, Philip Finn Rising; Benros, Michael E

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Schizophrenia is associated with excess physical comorbidity. Yet, to our knowledge, large studies are lacking on the associations with somatic diseases before the onset of schizophrenia. The authors conducted a nationwide study of the full spectrum of treated somatic diseases before t...

Journeying as Amateur and Professional – A Somatic Movement Approach

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Martha Eddy

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This account is an interactive case study co-authored by a teacher and her student on the topic of moving from amateur to professional. It highlights the role of somatic education in equalizing the experience of amateurs and professionals as well as pointing to specific curricula, public performances, participatory events and volunteer work that are made uniquely available to students of programs related to Dynamic EmbodimentTM Somatic Movement Therapy (known as the Somatic Movement Therapy Training – SMTT from 1991-2005. Written in first-person narrative style (Powdermaker 1966, this inquiry supports the primary methodology of somatic education – the process of self-discovery “from within” (Hanna 1976 emphasizing the physical body with a focus on bodily proprioception and kinesthetic awareness – as well as the humanistic nature of the student-teacher relationship and the value of each in performance and education.

Recurrent Somatic Structural Variations Contribute to Tumorigenesis in Pediatric Osteosarcoma

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Xiang Chen

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Pediatric osteosarcoma is characterized by multiple somatic chromosomal lesions, including structural variations (SVs and copy number alterations (CNAs. To define the landscape of somatic mutations in pediatric osteosarcoma, we performed whole-genome sequencing of DNA from 20 osteosarcoma tumor samples and matched normal tissue in a discovery cohort, as well as 14 samples in a validation cohort. Single-nucleotide variations (SNVs exhibited a pattern of localized hypermutation called kataegis in 50% of the tumors. We identified p53 pathway lesions in all tumors in the discovery cohort, nine of which were translocations in the first intron of the TP53 gene. Beyond TP53, the RB1, ATRX, and DLG2 genes showed recurrent somatic alterations in 29%–53% of the tumors. These data highlight the power of whole-genome sequencing for identifying recurrent somatic alterations in cancer genomes that may be missed using other methods.

Hypochondriasis and somatization related to personality and attitudes toward self.

Science.gov (United States)

Hollifield, M; Tuttle, L; Paine, S; Kellner, R

1999-01-01

Better definition of the boundary between hypochondriasis and somatization was determined by measuring attitudes to self and personality dimensions associated with these syndromes. In this study, the primary care patients with hypochondriacal responses (HR) on the Illness Attitudes Scales or high somatic concern (HSC) on the Symptom Questionnaire had more negative attitudes to self and more psychological distress than the matched group of primary care control subjects. The HR subjects were different from the non-HR subjects on two of five personality domains on the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO)-Five-Factor Inventory, and the HSC subjects were different from the non-HSC subjects on four of five NEO domains. Analysis of variance demonstrated that somatization explained most of the variance in attitudes, personality, and psychological distress, but hypochondriasis uniquely contributed only to thanatophobia. The authors discuss the boundary between hypochondriasis and somatization and offer a descriptive model of this relationship.

When Whole(ness is more than the Sum of the Parts: somatics as contemporary epistemological field

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Ciane

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In the text, it is discussed some aspects on somatics in contemporary times, from the starting point of its technical and conceptual basis, clarifying premises and applications, as well as misunderstandings and restrictions. Some aspects include: conceptual, historical, and technical origins; common premises and principles developed by diverse somatic techniques; the difference between somatic technique, method, and approach; transculturality, decolonization, and repatterning; Somatic Attunement and Wisdom; institutionalization in technical and/or academic courses; somatics as autonomous field of therapy, education, aesthetics, and research; somatics as practice as research; somatic-performative research.

Improvement of mutation rate and reduction of somatic effects by double treatment of chemical mutagens in barley

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, B.C.; Maluszynski, M.

1996-01-01

Mutation techniques inducing more useful mutations and reducing somatic effects need to be improved for crop breeding. Seeds of barley varieties; Dema, Grosso were treated with two types of mutagens; 1) chemical treatment: single treatment or double treatment of two mutagens (N-nitroso-N-methylurea ; MNH, Sodium Azide; NaN 3 ) 2) gamma ray irradiation treatment. After treatment, half of seeds were used for germination test and half of seeds were sown to the field. With the higher dose of mutagen both chemical and gamma ray were plants treated, the higher rate of growth reduction rate was in M 1 seedling. In chemical treatment, germination rate of seeds, growth rate of coleoptile and root in double treatment of chemical mutagens were better than single treatments, especially in same dose. Growth inhibition rate of plant in double treatment of 1.0 mM MNH (0.5 mM MNH + 0.5 mM MNH), for example, were less than one of plants of single treatment of 1.0 mM MNH in pot and petri dish test. Growth reduction rate of culm and fertility rate in M 1 plants double treated in same dose of single treatment were also less than single one. With the higher dose of mutagen both chemical and gamma ray were plants treated, the higher frequency of chlorophyll mutants was in M 2 seedling. The rate of chlorophyll mutants in double treatment of chemical mutagens were higher than single treatment. Double treatment methods can be a improved method for induction of new good mutants, which were induced more useful mutations and reduced harmful somatic effects

Hypochondriasis, somatization, and perceived health and utilization of health care services.

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Hollifield, M; Paine, S; Tuttle, L; Kellner, R

1999-01-01

The authors determined the different effects of hypochondriasis and somatization on health perceptions, health status, and service utilization in a primary care population. The subjects with hypochondriacal responses (HR) on the Illness Attitudes Scales or high somatic concern (HSC) on the Symptom Questionnaire had a worse perception of health and variably used more health services than the control subjects, even though the HR and HSC subjects had the same level of chronic medical disorders. Regression analyses determined that somatization contributed more to negative health perception and service utilization than did hypochondriasis, although an interaction between the two contributed to the use of psychiatric care. The authors discuss the boundary between hypochondriasis and somatization for its implications for research and clinical practice.

The effects of oral iodized oil on intelligence, thyroid status, and somatic growth in school-age children from an area of endemic goiter.

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Bautista, A; Barker, P A; Dunn, J T; Sanchez, M; Kaiser, D L

1982-01-01

One hundred goitrous school children received 475 mg iodized oil by mouth, while 100 controls received mineral oil, on a double-blind basis. On follow-up 22 months later the urinary iodine had increased and goiter size had decreased in both groups, more strikingly in the iodine-treated children. There were no consistent differences between the two treatment groups in rate of somatic growth or performance on the Stanford-Binet and Bender tests. Because of the complexities introduced by increases in urinary iodine in the controls, we compared goiter reduction with improvement in IQ score in all children, regardless of group, and found a significant relationship (p = 0.014), particularly in girls (p = 0.029). We conclude that oral iodized oil is an attractive alternative to its injection but we recommend an approximate doubling of the dose used here for more effective control. Also, while our data are not conclusive, they support the possibility that correction of iodine deficiency may improve mental performance in school age children, particularly girls.

Depression, anxiety and somatization in primary care: syndrome overlap and functional impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Löwe, Bernd; Spitzer, Robert L; Williams, Janet B W; Mussell, Monika; Schellberg, Dieter; Kroenke, Kurt

2008-01-01

To determine diagnostic overlap of depression, anxiety and somatization as well as their unique and overlapping contribution to functional impairment. Two thousand ninety-one consecutive primary care clinic patients participated in a multicenter cross-sectional survey in 15 primary care clinics in the United States (participation rate, 92%). Depression, anxiety, somatization and functional impairment were assessed using validated scales from the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) (PHQ-8, eight-item depression module; GAD-7, seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale; and PHQ-15, 15-item somatic symptom scale) and the Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-20). Multiple linear regression analyses were used to investigate unique and overlapping associations of depression, anxiety and somatization with functional impairment. In over 50% of cases, comorbidities existed between depression, anxiety and somatization. The contribution of the commonalities of depression, anxiety and somatization to functional impairment substantially exceeded the contribution of their independent parts. Nevertheless, depression, anxiety and somatization did have important and individual effects (i.e., separate from their overlap effect) on certain areas of functional impairment. Given the large syndrome overlap, a potential consideration for future diagnostic classification would be to describe basic diagnostic criteria for a single overarching disorder and to optionally code additional diagnostic features that allow a more detailed classification into specific depressive, anxiety and somatoform subtypes.

On a multistable competitive network model in the case of an inhomogeneous growth rate spectrum: With an application to priming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, T.D.

2009-01-01

A stability analysis of a network model proposed by Haken is carried out for the case of an inhomogeneous spectrum of growth rates. The degree of multistability as a function of the coupling strength between network units is determined. An application to priming shows that the network can reconstruct the fundamental phenomenon that primed items have shorter recall latencies than non-primed items when assuming that learning affects the inhomogeneity of the growth rate spectrum.

File list: ALL.Gon.05.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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File list: ALL.Gon.20.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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File list: ALL.Gon.50.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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Somatic radiation risk in case of irradiation of the brain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nocken, U.; Ewen, K.; Makoski, H.B.

1983-09-01

The somatic dose index for irradiation of the brain was determined for the 10 MeV bremsstrahlung of a linear electron-accelerator. A small volume rotation technique and the irradiation of the total neurocranium were chosen as extreme conditions for the radiation exposure of the skull. On the basis of a target volume dose of 50 Gy for the total irradiation series, the somatic dose index of the small volume technique is within the scope of coronarography. In case of irradiation of the total neurocranium, however, the somatic dose index largely exceeds the maximum values of X-ray diagnosis.

Somatization as a core symptom of melancholic type depression. Evidence from a cross-cultural study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebert, D; Martus, P

1994-12-01

The study questions whether different types of somatization may be a core symptom of melancholia, thus, being invariable across cultures and being a candidate for neurobiological research and diagnostic criteria. 51 Turkish patients and 51 education-matched German patients with melancholic depression were compared for two types of somatization. Turkish patients had higher frequencies of somatic preoccupation and hypochondriasis but they were not different in the perception and experience of somatic symptoms. It is concluded that: (1) somatization has to be differentiated psychopathologically; (2) it may be a neurobiological core symptom of melancholia in the well-defined sense of 'perceiving abnormal somatic symptoms'; and (3) it may be a culture-bound symptom in the sense of 'being abnormally concerned with somatic symptoms or hypochondrial fears'.

Mind-Body Interactions in Anxiety and Somatic Symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallorquí-Bagué, Núria; Bulbena, Antonio; Pailhez, Guillem; Garfinkel, Sarah N; Critchley, Hugo D

2016-01-01

Anxiety and somatic symptoms have a high prevalence in the general population. A mechanistic understanding of how different factors contribute to the development and maintenance of these symptoms, which are highly associated with anxiety disorders, is crucial to optimize treatments. In this article, we review recent literature on this topic and present a redefined model of mind-body interaction in anxiety and somatic symptoms, with an emphasis on both bottom-up and top-down processes. Consideration is given to the role played in this interaction by predisposing physiological and psychological traits (e.g., interoception, anxiety sensitivity, and trait anxiety) and to the levels at which mindfulness approaches may exert a therapeutic benefit. The proposed model of mind-body interaction in anxiety and somatic symptoms is appraised in the context of joint hypermobility syndrome, a constitutional variant associated with autonomic abnormalities and vulnerability to anxiety disorders.

Anatomy of somatic embryogenesis in Carica papaya L.

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Juliana A. Fernando

2001-09-01

Full Text Available Mature zygotic embryos of Carica papaya L. ‘Sunrise Solo’ were used as explants for embryogenesis induction. The explants were inoculated on Murashige and Skoog culture medium supplemented with 2 mg.L-1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and incubated in darkness at 25+2°C. Histological analysis of callogenesis and somatic embryogenesis indicated occurrence of direct and indirect somatic embryogenesis development. Direct somatic embryo formation was observed from hypocotyledonary epidermic cells only from explant 18 days after inoculation. Somatic embryos formed indirectly were originated from embryogenic superficial cells of pre-embryonic complexes located on peripherical and on internal cell layers of callus 49 days after inoculation. Diverse morphological differences including disformed embryos were observed among the somatic embryos.Embriões zigóticos maduros de Carica papaya L. ‘Sunrise Solo’ foram utilizados como explantes para indução da embriogênese. Estes explantes foram inoculados em meio de cultura de Murashige & Skoog suplementado com 2,0 mg.L-1 de 2,4 ácido diclorofenoxiacético (2,4-D e mantidos no escuro em câmara de crescimento à temperatura de 21°C por período de tempo variável. Através da análise histológica foi possível verificar que os primeiros embriões somáticos formaram-se diretamente a partir de células únicas da epiderme hipocotiledonar do explante após o 18º dia de cultura. Porém, os demais embriões somáticos originaram-se indiretamente a partir de células superficiais de complexos pré-embriônicos presentes nas camadas periféricas e internas do calo após o 49º dia de cultura. Foram detectadas algumas diferenças morfológicas entre os embriões somáticos obtidos.

Number and importance of somatic cells in goat’s milk

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Lidija Kozačinski

2001-04-01

Full Text Available Goat’s milk samples were examined on mastitis using stable procedure (California-mastitis test. 427 of the examined milk samples (46.82% had positive reaction from 1 to 3 while other 485 samples (53.18% had negative reaction on the mastitis test, indicating that no illness of mammary gland occurred. Number of somatic cells, counted using “Fossomatic” counter, was 1.3x106/ml average. By comparing the results of mastitis-test evaluation (CMT with the number of somatic cells and findings of mastitis agents in milk showed that higher number of somatic cells is not the only indication of goat’s mammary gland illness. Mastitis-test is method that can exclude inflammation of goat’s mammary gland, but every positive reaction should be confirmed or eliminate with bacteriological examination. Based on the results of this research, it has been shown that the limit for somatic cells number in goat's milk can be over 1 000 000/ml.

Avoidant personality problems--their association with somatic and mental health, lifestyle, and social network. A community-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Olssøn, Ingrid; Dahl, Alv A

2012-08-01

The aim of the study was to explore the associations between the presence of avoidant personality problems (APPs) and 5 areas of impairment: demography, somatic issues, mental health, lifestyle, and social issues. Avoidant personality problem was defined by confirmation of the 2 avoidant personality disorder items of the Iowa Personality Disorder Screen and and the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) short version (MINI-SPIN) screening assessment for generalized social anxiety disorder sum score of 6 or more. The questionnaires were administered in a Norwegian population survey (the Oslo Health Study-HUBRO). Cases consisted of 280 individuals with APP and 5 randomly selected controls without APP (n = 1400). The APP group more frequently reported living alone, lower level of education, and lower income than controls. Poor self-rated health, presence of somatic disease, muscular pain, frequent use of analgesics, and visits at a general practitioner were significantly more common in the APP group than among controls. The APP group had significantly higher proportion of caseness of mental distress, low general self-efficacy, and insomnia, and this result held up in multivariate analyses. The APP group showed statistically significant higher proportions of physical inactivity, obesity, daily smoking, and alcohol problems compared with controls. As for social impairment, a significantly higher proportion of the APP group reported "not having enough good friends," "high powerlessness," and low community activism, and the 2 former variables held up in multivariate analyses. In this population-based study, we found that high levels of APP, defined closely to avoidant personality disorder, were significantly associated with demographic, somatic, and mental impairment; low general self-efficacy; and insomnia affecting work ability. In addition, APP showed associations with negative lifestyle, alcohol problems, and social impairment reporting lack of good friends and lack of

Determination of organ doses during radiological examinations and calculation of somatically significant dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steiner, H.

1980-01-01

Examples are used to demonstrate that a shift in the point of emphasis is necessary with regard to radiation hazard in medicinal X-ray diagnosis. The parameters employed in this study to calculate somatic dose (SD) and somatically significant dose (SSD) may well be in need of modification; nevertheless the numerical estimation of SSD arrived at here appears to reflect the right order of magnitude for the estimation of somatic risk. The consideration of the threshold dose for somatic injury remains a problem. (orig./MG) [de

Growth Hormone Receptor Signaling Pathways and its Negative Regulation by SOCS2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernández Pérez, Leandro; Flores-Morales, Amilcar; Guerra, Borja

2016-01-01

Growth hormone (GH) is a critical regulator of linear body growth during childhood but continues to have important metabolic actions throughout life. The GH receptor (GHR) is ubiquitously expressed, and deficiency of GHR signaling causes a dramatic impact on normal physiology during somatic devel...

[Disease at any price: psychological challenge and the financial costs of somatization].

Science.gov (United States)

Matalon, A

1996-01-01

In clinical medicine we sometimes deal with patients with unexplained somatic complaints. In a 45-year-old woman with multiple somatic complaints, 2 years of medical examinations in search of a disease diagnosis cost almost 250,000 shekels (about +84,000). The differential diagnosis between somatization, hypochondriasis and psychosomatic pain, and the reasons why physicians are tempted to participate in the "investigation dance" are presented.

Pathological narcissism and somatic symptoms among men and women attending an outpatient mental health clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Kealy, David; Tsai, Michelle; Ogrodniczuk, John S

2016-09-01

To explore the relationship between types of pathological narcissism and somatic symptoms among psychiatric outpatients. Patients (N = 95) completed measures of somatic symptoms, narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability, and psychiatric symptoms. Relationships among variables were analysed using t-tests and correlations, controlling for psychiatric distress. Somatic symptoms were positively associated with two types of narcissistic dysfunction. Among women there was a positive association between somatic symptoms and narcissistic vulnerability, but not grandiosity. Among men, somatic symptoms were positively associated with narcissistic grandiosity, but not vulnerability. The connection between narcissistic pathology and somatic symptom severity appears to differ based on gender. Further research is needed to confirm and extend this preliminary finding.

Somatic cell counts in bulk milk and their importance for milk processing

Science.gov (United States)

Savić, N. R.; Mikulec, D. P.; Radovanović, R. S.

2017-09-01

Bulk tank milk somatic cell counts are the indicator of the mammary gland health in the dairy herds and may be regarded as an indirect measure of milk quality. Elevated somatic cell counts are correlated with changes in milk composition The aim of this study was to assess the somatic cell counts that significantly affect the quality of milk and dairy products. We examined the somatic cell counts in bulk tank milk samples from 38 farms during the period of 6 months, from December to the May of the next year. The flow cytometry, Fossomatic was used for determination of somatic cell counts. In the same samples content of total proteins and lactose was determined by Milcoscan. Our results showed that average values for bulk tank milk samples were 273,605/ml from morning milking and 292,895/ml from evening milking. The average values for total proteins content from morning and evening milking are 3,31 and 3,34%, respectively. The average values for lactose content from morning and evening milking are 4,56 and 4,63%, respectively. The highest somatic cell count (516,000/ml) was detected in bulk tank milk sample from evening milk in the Winter and the lowest content of lactose was 4,46%. Our results showed that obtained values for bulk tank milk somatic cell counts did not significantly affected the content of total proteins and lactose.

Epilepsy as a systemic condition: Link with somatic comorbidities.

Science.gov (United States)

Novy, J; Bell, G S; Peacock, J L; Sisodiya, S M; Sander, J W

2017-10-01

People with epilepsy have more concomitant medical conditions than the general population; these comorbidities play an important role in premature mortality. We sought to generate explanatory hypotheses about the co-occurrence of somatic comorbidities and epilepsy, avoiding causal and treatment-resultant biases. We collected clinical, demographic and somatic comorbidity data for 2016 consecutive adults with epilepsy undergoing assessment at a tertiary centre and in 1278 people with epilepsy in the community. Underlying causes of epilepsy were not classed as comorbidities. Somatic comorbidities were more frequent in the referral centre (49%) where people more frequently had active epilepsy than in the community (36%). Consistent risk factors for comorbidities were found in both cohorts. Using multivariable ordinal regression adjusted for age, longer epilepsy duration and an underlying brain lesion were independently associated with a smaller burden of somatic conditions. The treatment burden, measured by the number of drugs to which people were exposed, was not an independent predictor. Shorter epilepsy duration was a predictor for conditions that conceivably harbour significant mortality risks. Somatic comorbidities do not occur randomly in relation to epilepsy; having more severe epilepsy seems to be a risk factor. Independently from age, the early period after epilepsy onset appears to be at particular risk, although it is not clear whether this relates to an early mortality or to a later decrease in the burden of comorbidities. These results suggest that, for some people, epilepsy should be considered a systemic condition not limited to the CNS. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Protocols for Callus and Somatic Embryo Initiation for Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Malvaceae): Influence of Explant Type, Sugar, and Plant Growth Regulators

Science.gov (United States)

A significant work on callus induction and somatic embryogenesis was realized for Hibiscus sabdariffa. Two genotypes (Hibiscus sabdariffa and Hibiscus sabdariffa var. altissima) two sugars (sucrose and glucose) and three concentrations (1 %, 2%, 3%) of each sugar, 3 explant types (root, hypocotyl, c...

Somatic mosaicism of androgen receptor CAG repeats in colorectal carcinoma epithelial cells from men.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Fabio, Francesco; Alvarado, Carlos; Gologan, Adrian; Youssef, Emad; Voda, Linda; Mitmaker, Elliot; Beitel, Lenore K; Gordon, Philip H; Trifiro, Mark

2009-06-01

The X-linked human androgen receptor gene (AR) contains an exonic polymorphic trinucleotide CAG. The length of this encoded CAG tract inversely affects AR transcriptional activity. Colorectal carcinoma is known to express the androgen receptor, but data on somatic CAG repeat lengths variations in malignant and normal epithelial cells are still sporadic. Using laser capture microdissection (LCM), epithelial cells from colorectal carcinoma and normal-appearing mucosa were collected from the fresh tissue of eight consecutive male patients undergoing surgery (mean age, 70 y; range, 54-82). DNA isolated from each LCM sample underwent subsequent PCR and DNA sequencing to precisely determine AR CAG repeat lengths and the presence of microsatellite instability (MSI). Different AR CAG repeat lengths were observed in colorectal carcinoma (ranging from 0 to 36 CAG repeats), mainly in the form of multiple shorter repeat lengths. This genetic heterogeneity (somatic mosaicism) was also found in normal-appearing colorectal mucosa. Half of the carcinoma cases examined tended to have a higher number of AR CAG repeat lengths with a wider range of repeat size variation compared to normal mucosa. MSI carcinomas tended to have longer median AR CAG repeat lengths (n = 17) compared to microsatellite stable carcinomas (n = 14), although the difference was not significant (P = 0.31, Mann-Whitney test). Multiple unique somatic mutations of the AR CAG repeats occur in colorectal mucosa and in carcinoma, predominantly resulting in shorter alleles. Colorectal epithelial cells carrying AR alleles with shorter CAG repeat lengths may be more androgen-sensitive and therefore have a growth advantage.

Evolving spiking neural networks: a novel growth algorithm exhibits unintelligent design

Science.gov (United States)

Schaffer, J. David

2015-06-01

Spiking neural networks (SNNs) have drawn considerable excitement because of their computational properties, believed to be superior to conventional von Neumann machines, and sharing properties with living brains. Yet progress building these systems has been limited because we lack a design methodology. We present a gene-driven network growth algorithm that enables a genetic algorithm (evolutionary computation) to generate and test SNNs. The genome for this algorithm grows O(n) where n is the number of neurons; n is also evolved. The genome not only specifies the network topology, but all its parameters as well. Experiments show the algorithm producing SNNs that effectively produce a robust spike bursting behavior given tonic inputs, an application suitable for central pattern generators. Even though evolution did not include perturbations of the input spike trains, the evolved networks showed remarkable robustness to such perturbations. In addition, the output spike patterns retain evidence of the specific perturbation of the inputs, a feature that could be exploited by network additions that could use this information for refined decision making if required. On a second task, a sequence detector, a discriminating design was found that might be considered an example of "unintelligent design"; extra non-functional neurons were included that, while inefficient, did not hamper its proper functioning.

Relationship of milking rate to somatic cell count.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, C A; Rischette, S J; Schultz, L H

1986-03-01

Information on milking rate, monthly bucket somatic cell counts, mastitis treatment, and milk production was obtained from 284 lactations of Holstein cows separated into three lactation groups. Significant correlations between somatic cell count (linear score) and other parameters included production in lactation 1 (-.185), production in lactation 2 (-.267), and percent 2-min milk in lactation 2 (.251). Somatic cell count tended to increase with maximum milking rate in all lactations, but correlations were not statistically significant. Twenty-nine percent of cows with milking rate measurements were treated for clinical mastitis. Treated cows in each lactation group produced less milk than untreated cows. In the second and third lactation groups, treated cows had a shorter total milking time and a higher percent 2-min milk than untreated cows, but differences were not statistically significant. Overall, the data support the concept that faster milking cows tend to have higher cell counts and more mastitis treatments, particularly beyond first lactation. However, the magnitude of the relationship was small.

[Product safety analysis of somatic cell cloned bovine].

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Song; Lan, Jie; Song, Yongli; Lu, Chenglong; Zhang, Yong

2010-05-01

Somatic cell cloning (nuclear transfer) is a technique through which the nucleus (DNA) of a somatic cell is transferred into an enucleated oocyte for the generation of a new individual, genetically identical to the somatic cell donor. It could be applied for the enhancement of reproduction rate and the improvement of food products involving quality, yield and nutrition. In recent years, the United States, Japan and Europe as well as other countries announced that meat and milk products made from cloned cattle are safe for human consumption. Yet, cloned animals are faced with a wide range of health problems, with a high death rate and a high incidence of disease. The precise causal mechanisms for the low efficiency of cloning remain unclear. Is it safe that any products from cloned animals were allowed into the food supply? This review focuses on the security of meat, milk and products from cloned cattle based on the available data.

The Use of Light Microscopy for Detection of Somatic Embryos

African Journals Online (AJOL)

usuario

2014-02-05

Feb 5, 2014 ... 2,4-D. After four weeks of culture of explants on the callus induction medium, globular structures were obtained. At the end of 20 days in maturation medium, somatic embryos were observed. Histological analysis showed somatic embryos with caulinar and root apex, protodermal tissue, and the vascular ...

Direct and indirect measurement of somatic cell count as indicator of intramammary infection in dairy goats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olofsson Ida

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mastitis is the most important and costly disease in dairy goat production. Subclinical mastitis is common in goats and is mainly caused by contagious bacteria. Several methods to diagnose subclinical mastitis are available. In this study indirect measurement of somatic cell count (SCC by California Mastitis Test (CMT and direct measurement of SCC using a portable deLaval cell counter (DCC are evaluated. Swedish goat farmers would primarily benefit from diagnostic methods that can be used at the farm. The purpose of the study was to evaluate SCC measured by CMT and DCC as possible markers for intramammary infection (IMI in goats without clinical symptoms of mastitis. Moreover to see how well indirect measurement of SCC (CMT corresponded to direct measurement of SCC (DCC. Method Udder half milk samples were collected once from dairy goats (n = 111, in five different farms in Northern and Central Sweden. Only clinically healthy animals were included in the study. All goats were in mid to late lactation at sampling. Milk samples were analyzed for SCC by CMT and DCC at the farm, and for bacterial growth at the laboratory. Results Intramammary infection, defined as growth of udder pathogens, was found in 39 (18% of the milk samples. No growth was found in 180 (81% samples while 3 (1% samples were contaminated. The most frequently isolated bacterial species was coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS (72% of all isolates, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (23% of all isolates. Somatic cell count measured by DCC was strongly (p = 0.000 associated with bacterial growth. There was also a very strong association between CMT and bacterial growth. CMT 1 was associated with freedom of IMI while CMT ≥2 was associated with IMI. Indirect measurement of SCC by CMT was well correlated with SCC measured by DCC. Conclusions According to the results, SCC measured with CMT or DCC can predict udder infection in goats, and CMT can be used as a

Monitoring Genetic Stability in Quercus serrata Thunb. Somatic Embryogenesis Using RAPD Markers

OpenAIRE

Ramesh C., Thakur; Susumu, Goto; Katsuaki, Ishii; S. Mohan, Jain; Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute; Fukuoka Prefecture Forest Research and Extension Center; Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute; University of Helsinki

1999-01-01

Genetic stability of propagules regenerated via somatic embryogenesis is of paramount importance for its application to clonal forestry. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to determine the genetic stability in somatic embryogenesis of Quercus serrata Thunb. (Japanese white oak). Forty samples from an embryogenic line, consisting of regenerated plantlets, somatic embryos, and embryogenic calli, were examined using 54 decanucleotide primers. A total of 6520 clear reproduc...

Depression, Anxiety and Somatic Complaints in Colombian Children Living in Rural Communities

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Ruby C. Castilla Puentes

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: In Colombia, children are frequently exposed to traumatic events; however, there are no data regarding the impact on depression, anxiety and somatic correlates of such exposure in children living in rural communities. Objective: To investigate the somatic complaints and symptoms of depression and anxiety among children exposed to traumatic events in a rural community of Colombia. Methods: Design: Cross-Sectional study. Participants: Two hundred and ninety-three Colombian children aged eight to 18 years. Main Outcome Measures: Standardized measures were administered to assess children's depression, anxiety, physical symptoms and exposure to traumatic events. Depression: CDI (Children's Depression Inventory; anxiety: SCARED (The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders; somatic complaints: CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist, Somatic Complaints scale and reporting traumatic events during the K-SADS-PL (Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents. Results: Ninety-one of the 293 children (31.1% reported somatic complaints. The most common somatic complaint was in the gastrointestinal category (35/91. One hundred and seventy eight children (60.5% had observed traumatic events, including homicides during the last month. Two hundred five (69.9% of the children showed depressive symptom profiles above established norms, and 239 (81.6% exhibited anxiety symptoms according to their own reports. The correlation between depression and traumatic events, anxiety and somatic complaints, and between anxiety and depression were statistically significant (p<0.005. Conclusions: As the first study of its kind in children living in rural communities in Colombia, it demonstrates a clear impact of traumatic events on mental health. Information that somatic complaints are commonly an expression of underlying depression and anxiety may facilitate the treatment and thereby help avoid unnecessary medical workups and sequelae from traumatized

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Somatic embryogenesis in plantain cultivar 'FHIA - 25' (AAB from meristem tips

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Dayana Rodríguez González

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Plantain cultivar 'FHIA – 25' (AAB shows high yielding qualities and high resistance to Black Sigatoka disease, but its sugar content in the fruit is low, so a regeneration method at cell level is necessary, such as somatic embryogenesis supported by biotechnological tools to improve fruit quality. This work was performed with the aim of establishing a plant regeneration method via somatic embryogenesis using initial explants of shoot apices from axillary buds in liquid culture medium. Homogenous embryogenic cell suspensions were obtained from mentioned explants. The highest cellular multiplication rates were achieved at 3,0% density. The incubation of somatic embryos during 30 days in the maturation culture medium permitted to increase germination. During the acclimatization stage, plants regenerated from somatic embryos, as well as plants from organogenesis, showed a high survival percentage (98 and 97 respectively, without somaclonal variation.

USE OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES TO EVALUATE EFFECT OF ENDOGENOUS HORMONES AND A XENOBIOTIC PESTICIDE ON GROWTH OF SHEEPSHEAD MINNOW

Science.gov (United States)

We have developed a teleost model to screen physiological effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on somatic growth. Growth is largely controlled by the endocrine system via the growth-hormone releasing hormone (GRF) - growth hormone (GH) - insulin-like growth factor (IG...

[Hypochondriac symptoms in late-onset depression: the relationship between hypochondria and somatic state of patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanets, N N; Avdeeva, T I; Kinkul'kina, M A

2013-01-01

Authors studied 276 women with late-onset depression. Concomitant chronic somatic diseases were identified in 90%. The presence of disease and its nosological definition did not impact on the development of hypochondriac symptoms in patients with late-onset depression. Patients with hypochondriac late-onset depression more often had disability pension due to somatic disease because they more often referred to internists in case of similar objective severity of somatic pathology. It was singled out three variants of the relationship between hypochondria and somatic state: hypernosognostic (a complete coincidence of hypochondria content with actual somatic pathology; anosognostic (a lack of coincidence) and disharmonic (a partial coincidence). The themes of hypochondria in late-nset depressions were correlated with a total number of somatic diseases and their severity. At the same time, there was no correlation between the content of hypochondria and the character of somatic disease.

Acetylcholinesterase inhibition and antibacterial activity of Mondia whitei adventitious roots and ex vitro-grown somatic embryogenic-biomass

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Ponnusamy Baskaran

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Mondia whitei (Hook.f. Skeels is an important endangered medicinal and commercial plant in South Africa. In vitro propagation systems are required for biomass production and bioactivity analysis to supplement wild resources/stocks. Adventitious roots from somatic embryogenic explants using suspension culture and ex vitro-grown plants produced via somatic embryogenesis were established using different plant growth regulator treatments. The adventitious root biomass and different parts of ex vitro-grown and mother plants were used to investigate the potential for acetylcholinesterase (AChE and antibacterial activities. Adventitious roots derived from 2.5 µM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA treatments and ex vitro-grown plants derived from meta-topolin riboside (mTR and IAA treatments gave the best AChE and antibacterial activities. The in vitro-established M. whitei and ex vitro biomass have comparable ability to function as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase and antibacterial agents, and can be used as potent bioresources in traditional medicine

Dogs cloned from adult somatic cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Byeong Chun; Kim, Min Kyu; Jang, Goo; Oh, Hyun Ju; Yuda, Fibrianto; Kim, Hye Jin; Hossein, M Shamim; Shamim, M Hossein; Kim, Jung Ju; Kang, Sung Keun; Schatten, Gerald; Hwang, Woo Suk

2005-08-04

Several mammals--including sheep, mice, cows, goats, pigs, rabbits, cats, a mule, a horse and a litter of three rats--have been cloned by transfer of a nucleus from a somatic cell into an egg cell (oocyte) that has had its nucleus removed. This technology has not so far been successful in dogs because of the difficulty of maturing canine oocytes in vitro. Here we describe the cloning of two Afghan hounds by nuclear transfer from adult skin cells into oocytes that had matured in vivo. Together with detailed sequence information generated by the canine-genome project, the ability to clone dogs by somatic-cell nuclear transfer should help to determine genetic and environmental contributions to the diverse biological and behavioural traits associated with the many different canine breeds.

Network cohesion

OpenAIRE

Cavalcanti, Tiago Vanderlei; Giannitsarou, Chrysi; Johnson, CR

2017-01-01

We define a measure of network cohesion and show how it arises naturally in a broad class of dynamic models of endogenous perpetual growth with network externalities. Via a standard growth model, we show why network cohesion is crucial for conditional convergence and explain that as cohesion increases, convergence is faster. We prove properties of network cohesion and define a network aggregator that preserves network cohesion.

File list: InP.Gon.20.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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File list: InP.Gon.50.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available InP.Gon.50.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells mm9 Input control Gonad Testicular somatic... cells SRX591728,SRX591716 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/mm9/assembled/InP.Gon.50.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells.bed ...

Cognitive-affective depression and somatic symptoms clusters are differentially associated with maternal parenting and coparenting.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamela, Diogo; Jongenelen, Inês; Morais, Ana; Figueiredo, Bárbara

2017-09-01

Both depressive and somatic symptoms are significant predictors of parenting and coparenting problems. However, despite clear evidence of their co-occurrence, no study to date has examined the association between depressive-somatic symptoms clusters and parenting and coparenting. The current research sought to identify and cross-validate clusters of cognitive-affective depressive symptoms and nonspecific somatic symptoms, as well as to test whether clusters would differ on parenting and coparenting problems across three independent samples of mothers. Participants in Studies 1 and 3 consisted of 409 and 652 community mothers, respectively. Participants in Study 2 consisted of 162 mothers exposed to intimate partner violence. All participants prospectively completed self-report measures of depressive and nonspecific somatic symptoms and parenting (Studies 1 and 2) or coparenting (Study 3). Across studies, three depression-somatic symptoms clusters were identified: no symptoms, high depression and low nonspecific somatic symptoms, and high depression and nonspecific somatic symptoms. The high depression-somatic symptoms cluster was associated with the highest levels of child physical maltreatment risk (Study 1) and overt-conflict coparenting (Study 3). No differences in perceived maternal competence (Study 2) and cooperative and undermining coparenting (Study 3) were found between the high depression and low somatic symptoms cluster and the high depression-somatic symptoms cluster. The results provide novel evidence for the strong associations between clusters of depression and nonspecific somatic symptoms and specific parenting and coparenting problems. Cluster stability across three independent samples suggest that they may be generalizable. The results inform preventive approaches and evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CYTOLOGICAL QUALITY OF GOAT MILK ON THE BASIS OF THE SOMATIC CELL COUNT

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Henryka BERNACKA

2007-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present paper was to evaluate the cytological quality of goat milk based on the somatic cell count in respective months of lactation. Besides there was defined the effect of somatic cell on the milk production and chemical composition of milk. The research covered goats of color improved breed in the 2nd and 3rd lactation. Daily milk yield, chemical composition of milk and its somatic cell count were defined based on monthly morning and evening control milkings from both teats, following the A4 method applied in District Animal Evaluation Stations. The research indicated that the greater the somatic cell count in milk, the lower the daily milk yield, however the greater the somatic cell count, the greater the percentage content of fat and dry matter and the lower the content of lactose.

Somatic embryogenesis from leaf explants of Australian fan flower, Scaevola aemula R. Br.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Y-H; Bhalla, P L

2004-01-01

Somatic embryogenesis from leaf explants of Scaevola aemula R. Br. was achieved. Somatic embryos were induced from explants cultured on MS medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/ 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.2-0.5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Various developmental stages of somatic embryos were found on this medium-from globular embryos to germinated embryos. The transfer of globular embryos to MS medium containing 0.5 mg/l BAP resulted in a high frequency of shoot regeneration. Leaf explants cultured on MS medium containing different combinations of BAP and alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid formed adventitious shoots and roots. Histological examination confirmed the process of somatic embryogenesis. Induction of somatic embryogenesis in Scaevola provides a system for studying embryogenesis in Australian native plants and will facilitate the improvement of these plants using genetic transformation techniques.

Somatic PI3K activity regulates transition to the spermatocyte stages ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Spermatogenesis, involving multiple transit amplification divisions and meiosis, occurs within an enclosure formed bytwo somatic cells. As the cohort of germline cells divide and grow, the surface areas of the somatic cells expandmaintaining a tight encapsulation throughout the developmental period. Correlation between ...

File list: InP.Gon.10.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available InP.Gon.10.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells mm9 Input control Gonad Testicular somati...c cells SRX591728,SRX591716 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/mm9/assembled/InP.Gon.10.AllAg.Testicular_somatic_cells.bed ...

Dinosaur Metabolism and the Allometry of Maximum Growth Rate

OpenAIRE

Myhrvold, Nathan P.

2016-01-01

The allometry of maximum somatic growth rate has been used in prior studies to classify the metabolic state of both extant vertebrates and dinosaurs. The most recent such studies are reviewed, and their data is reanalyzed. The results of allometric regressions on growth rate are shown to depend on the choice of independent variable; the typical choice used in prior studies introduces a geometric shear transformation that exaggerates the statistical power of the regressions. The maximum growth...

Teaching at the interface of dance science and somatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Geber, Pamela; Wilson, Margaret

2010-01-01

This article introduces a combined scientific and somatic approach to teaching and learning about the body, and explains how it can be of benefit to dancers and dance educators. The study of the science of movement (kinesiology) and a somatic approach to teaching are initially defined and described as distinct entities; following this, a model for integration of the two is presented. The authors advocate for such a combination in order to enhance dancing.

Comparative proteomic analysis of off-type and normal phenotype somatic plantlets derived from somatic embryos of Feijoa (Acca sellowiana (O. Berg) Burret).

Science.gov (United States)

Fraga, Hugo Pacheco de Freitas; Agapito-Tenfen, Sarah Zanon; Caprestano, Clarissa Alves; Nodari, Rubens Onofre; Guerra, Miguel Pedro

2013-09-01

Morphological disorders in a relevant portion of emerged somatic embryos have been a limiting factor in the true-to-type plantlet formation in Acca sellowiana. In this sense, the present study undertook a comparison between normal phenotype and off-type somatic plantlets protein profiles by means of the 2-D DIGE proteomics approach. Off-type and normal phenotype somatic plantlets obtained at 10 and 20 days conversion were evaluated. Results indicated 12 exclusive spots between normal and off-type plantlets at 10 days conversion, and 17 exclusive spots at 20 days conversion. Also at 20 days conversion, 4 spots were differentially expressed, up- or down-regulated. Two proteins related to carbohydrate metabolism were only expressed in off-types at 10 days conversion, suggesting a more active respiratory pathway. A vicilin-like storage protein was only found in off-types at 20 days conversion, indicating that plantlets may present an abnormality in the mobilization of storage compounds, causing reduced vigor in the development of derived plantlets. The presence of heat shock proteins were only observed during formation of normal phenotype somatic plantlets, indicating that these proteins may be involved in normal morphogenesis of plantlets formed. These new findings shed light on possible genetic or epigenetic mechanisms governing A. sellowiana morphogenesis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A multilevel approach to examining cephalopod growth using Octopus pallidus as a model.

Science.gov (United States)

Semmens, Jayson; Doubleday, Zoë; Hoyle, Kate; Pecl, Gretta

2011-08-15

Many aspects of octopus growth dynamics are poorly understood, particularly in relation to sub-adult or adult growth, muscle fibre dynamics and repro-somatic investment. The growth of 5 month old Octopus pallidus cultured in the laboratory was investigated under three temperature regimes over a 12 week period: seasonally increasing temperatures (14-18°C); seasonally decreasing temperatures (18-14°C); and a constant temperature mid-way between seasonal peaks (16°C). Differences in somatic growth at the whole-animal level, muscle tissue structure and rate of gonad development were investigated. Continuous exponential growth was observed, both at a group and at an individual level, and there was no detectable effect of temperature on whole-animal growth rate. Juvenile growth rate (from 1 to 156 days) was also monitored prior to the controlled experiment; exponential growth was observed, but at a significantly faster rate than in the older experimental animals, suggesting that O. pallidus exhibit a double-exponential two-phase growth pattern. There was considerable variability in size-at-age even between individuals growing under identical thermal regimes. Animals exposed to seasonally decreasing temperatures exhibited a higher rate of gonad development compared with animals exposed to increasing temperatures; however, this did not coincide with a detectable decline in somatic growth rate or mantle condition. The ongoing production of new mitochondria-poor and mitochondria-rich muscle fibres (hyperplasia) was observed, indicated by a decreased or stable mean muscle fibre diameter concurrent with an increase in whole-body size. Animals from both seasonal temperature regimes demonstrated higher rates of new mitochondria-rich fibre generation relative to those from the constant temperature regime, but this difference was not reflected in a difference in growth rate at the whole-body level. This is the first study to record ongoing hyperplasia in the muscle tissue of an

Nuclear networking.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Wei; Burke, Brian

2017-07-04

Nuclear lamins are intermediate filament proteins that represent important structural components of metazoan nuclear envelopes (NEs). By combining proteomics and superresolution microscopy, we recently reported that both A- and B-type nuclear lamins form spatially distinct filament networks at the nuclear periphery of mouse fibroblasts. In particular, A-type lamins exhibit differential association with nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). Our studies reveal that the nuclear lamina network in mammalian somatic cells is less ordered and more complex than that of amphibian oocytes, the only other system in which the lamina has been visualized at high resolution. In addition, the NPC component Tpr likely links NPCs to the A-type lamin network, an association that appears to be regulated by C-terminal modification of various A-type lamin isoforms. Many questions remain, however, concerning the structure and assembly of lamin filaments, as well as with their mode of association with other nuclear components such as peripheral chromatin.

Contrastive Study of Somatisms Distinctive Features in Phraseology of Different Languages

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Sharbat Muhamedzhanova

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes semantic transformations of phraseologically active somatisms, based on contrastive study of fixed combinations in Kazakh and French languages. The prospects for the study of fixed combinations, having somatic vocabulary as a semantic kernel in conceptualization of idioethnic anthropological paradigm was studied

Health Anxiety in Panic Disorder, Somatization Disorder and Hypochondriasis

OpenAIRE

Özgün Karaer KARAPIÇAK; Selçuk ASLAN; Çisem UTKU

2012-01-01

Objective: Health anxiety is the fear of being or getting seriously sick due to the misinterpretation of physical symptoms. Severe health anxiety is also named as hypochondriasis. Belief of having a disease due to the misinterpretation of physical symptoms is also seen in panic disorder and somatization disorder. The aim of this study is to search the health anxiety in panic disorder, somatization disorder and hypochondriasis and compare it with healthy volunteers. Method: SCID-I was used ...

Somatic VHL gene alterations in MEN2-associated medullary thyroid carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, Christian A; Brouwers, Frederieke M; Vortmeyer, Alexander O; Tannapfel, Andrea; Libutti, Steven K; Zhuang, Zhengping; Pacak, Karel; Neumann, Hartmut PH; Paschke, Ralf

2006-01-01

Germline mutations in RET are responsible for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2), an autosomal dominantly inherited cancer syndrome that is characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), pheochromocytoma, and parathyroid hyperplasia/adenoma. Recent studies suggest a 'second hit' mechanism resulting in amplification of mutant RET. Somatic VHL gene alterations are implicated in the pathogenesis of MEN2 pheochromocytomas. We hypothesized that somatic VHL gene alterations are also important in the pathogenesis of MEN2-associated MTC. We analyzed 6 MTCs and 1 C-cell hyperplasia (CCH) specimen from 7 patients with MEN2A and RET germline mutations in codons 609, 618, 620, or 634, using microdissection, microsatellite analysis, phosphorimage densitometry, and VHL mutation analysis. First, we searched for allelic imbalance between mutant and wild-type RET by using the polymorphic markers D10S677, D10S1239, and RET on thyroid tissue from these patients. Evidence for RET amplification by this technique could be demonstrated in 3 of 6 MTCs. We then performed LOH analysis using D3S1038 and D3S1110 which map to the VHL gene locus at 3p25/26. VHL gene deletion was present in 3 MTCs. These 3 MTCs also had an allelic imbalance between mutant and wild-type RET. Mutation analysis of the VHL gene showed a somatic frameshift mutation in 1 MTC that also demonstrated LOH at 3p25/26. In the 2 other MTCs with allelic imbalance of RET and somatic VHL gene deletion, no somatic VHL mutation could be detected. The CCH specimen did neither reveal RET imbalance nor somatic VHL gene alterations. These data suggest that a RET germline mutation is necessary for development of CCH, that allelic imbalance between mutant and wild-type RET may set off tumorigenesis, and that somatic VHL gene alterations may not play a major role in tumorigenesis of MEN2A-associated MTC

Simple growth patterns can create complex trajectories for the ontogeny of constitutive chemical defences in seaweeds.

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Nicholas A Paul

Full Text Available All of the theory and most of the data on the ecology and evolution of chemical defences derive from terrestrial plants, which have considerable capacity for internal movement of resources. In contrast, most macroalgae--seaweeds--have no or very limited capacity for resource translocation, meaning that trade-offs between growth and defence, for example, should be localised rather than systemic. This may change the predictions of chemical defence theories for seaweeds. We developed a model that mimicked the simple growth pattern of the red seaweed Asparagopsis armata which is composed of repeating clusters of somatic cells and cells which contain deterrent secondary chemicals (gland cells. To do this we created a distinct growth curve for the somatic cells and another for the gland cells using empirical data. The somatic growth function was linked to the growth function for defence via differential equations modelling, which effectively generated a trade-off between growth and defence as these neighbouring cells develop. By treating growth and defence as separate functions we were also able to model a trade-off in growth of 2-3% under most circumstances. However, we found contrasting evidence for this trade-off in the empirical relationships between growth and defence, depending on the light level under which the alga was cultured. After developing a model that incorporated both branching and cell division rates, we formally demonstrated that positive correlations between growth and defence are predicted in many circumstances and also that allocation costs, if they exist, will be constrained by the intrinsic growth patterns of the seaweed. Growth patterns could therefore explain contrasting evidence for cost of constitutive chemical defence in many studies, highlighting the need to consider the fundamental biology and ontogeny of organisms when assessing the allocation theories for defence.

A pathway-centric survey of somatic mutations in Chinese patients with colorectal carcinomas.

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Chao Ling

Full Text Available Previous genetic studies on colorectal carcinomas (CRC have identified multiple somatic mutations in four candidate pathways (TGF-β, Wnt, P53 and RTK-RAS pathways on populations of European ancestry. However, it is under-studied whether other populations harbor different sets of hot-spot somatic mutations in these pathways and other oncogenes. In this study, to evaluate the mutational spectrum of novel somatic mutations, we assessed 41 pairs of tumor-stroma tissues from Chinese patients with CRC, including 29 colon carcinomas and 12 rectal carcinomas. We designed Illumina Custom Amplicon panel to target 43 genes, including genes in the four candidate pathways, as well as several known oncogenes for other cancers. Candidate mutations were validated by Sanger sequencing, and we further used SIFT and PolyPhen-2 to assess potentially functional mutations. We discovered 3 new somatic mutations in gene APC, TCF7L2, and PIK3CA that had never been reported in the COSMIC or NCI-60 databases. Additionally, we confirmed 6 known somatic mutations in gene SMAD4, APC, FBXW7, BRAF and PTEN in Chinese CRC patients. While most were previously reported in CRC, one mutation in PTEN was reported only in malignant endometrium cancer. Our study confirmed the existence of known somatic mutations in the four candidate pathways for CRC in Chinese patients. We also discovered a number of novel somatic mutations in these pathways, which may have implications for the pathogenesis of CRC.

Non-antibiotic selection systems for soybean somatic embryos: the lysine analog aminoethyl-cysteine as a selection agent

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Kwanyuen Prachuab

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In soybean somatic embryo transformation, the standard selection agent currently used is hygromycin. It may be preferable to avoid use of antibiotic resistance genes in foods. The objective of these experiments was to develop a selection system for producing transgenic soybean somatic embryos without the use of antibiotics such as hygromycin. Results When tested against different alternate selection agents our studies show that 0.16 μg/mL glufosinate, 40 mg/L isopropylamine-glyphosate, 0.5 mg/mL (S-(2 aminoethyl-L-cysteine (AEC and the acetolactate synthase (ALS inhibitors Exceed® and Synchrony® both at 150 μg/mL inhibited soybean somatic embryo growth. Even at the concentration of 2 mg/mL, lysine+threonine (LT were poor selection agents. The use of AEC may be preferable since it is a natural compound. Unlike the plant enzyme, dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHPS from E. coli is not feed-back inhibited by physiological concentrations of lysine. The dapA gene which codes for E. coli DHPS was expressed in soybean somatic embryos under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter. Following introduction of the construct into embryogenic tissue of soybean, transgenic events were recovered by incubating the tissue in liquid medium containing AEC at a concentration of 5 mM. Only transgenic soybeans were able to grow at this concentration of AEC; no escapes were observed. Conclusion Genetically engineered soybeans expressing a lysine insensitive DHPS gene can be selected with the non-antibiotic selection agent AEC. We also report here the inhibitory effects of glufosinate, (isopropylamine-glyphosate (Roundup®, AEC and the ALS inhibitors Exceed® and Synchrony® against different tissues of soybean

Altered resting-state whole-brain functional networks of neonates with intrauterine growth restriction.

Science.gov (United States)

Batalle, Dafnis; Muñoz-Moreno, Emma; Tornador, Cristian; Bargallo, Nuria; Deco, Gustavo; Eixarch, Elisenda; Gratacos, Eduard

2016-04-01

The feasibility to use functional MRI (fMRI) during natural sleep to assess low-frequency basal brain activity fluctuations in human neonates has been demonstrated, although its potential to characterise pathologies of prenatal origin has not yet been exploited. In the present study, we used intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) as a model of altered neurodevelopment due to prenatal condition to show the suitability of brain networks to characterise functional brain organisation at neonatal age. Particularly, we analysed resting-state fMRI signal of 20 neonates with IUGR and 13 controls, obtaining whole-brain functional networks based on correlations of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal in 90 grey matter regions of an anatomical atlas (AAL). Characterisation of the networks obtained with graph theoretical features showed increased network infrastructure and raw efficiencies but reduced efficiency after normalisation, demonstrating hyper-connected but sub-optimally organised IUGR functional brain networks. Significant association of network features with neurobehavioral scores was also found. Further assessment of spatiotemporal dynamics displayed alterations into features associated to frontal, cingulate and lingual cortices. These findings show the capacity of functional brain networks to characterise brain reorganisation from an early age, and their potential to develop biomarkers of altered neurodevelopment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Individuals Undergoing Sex-Reassignment Surgery: Somatic Morbidity and Cause of Death.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonsen, Rikke Kildevæld; Hald, Gert Martin; Kristensen, Ellids; Giraldi, Annamaria

2016-03-01

Studies of mortality and somatic well-being after sex-reassignment surgery (SRS) of transsexual individuals are equivocal. Accordingly, the present study investigated mortality and somatic morbidity using a sample of transsexual individuals who comprised 98% (n = 104) of all surgically reassigned transsexual individuals in Denmark. To investigate somatic morbidity before and after SRS and cause of death and its relation to somatic morbidity after SRS in Danish individuals who underwent SRS from 1978 through 2010. Somatic morbidity and mortality in 104 sex-reassigned individuals were identified retrospectively by data from the Danish National Health Register and the Cause of Death Register. Somatic morbidity and cause of death. Overall, 19.2% of the sample were registered with somatic morbidity before SRS and 23.1% after SRS (P = not significant). In total, 8.6% had somatic morbidity before and after SRS. The most common diagnostic category was cardiovascular disease, affecting 18 individuals, 9 before and 14 after SRS, and 5 of those 14 who were affected after SRS had cardiovascular disease before and after SRS. Ten individuals died after SRS at an average age of 53.5 ± 7.9 years (male to female) and 53.5 ± 7.3 years (female to male). Of 98% of all Danish transsexuals who officially underwent SRS from 1978 through 2010, one in three had somatic morbidity and approximately 1 in 10 had died. No significant differences in somatic morbidity or mortality were found between male-to-female and female-to-male individuals. Despite the young average age at death and the relatively larger number of individuals with somatic morbidity, the present study design does not allow for determination of casual relations between, for example, specific types of hormonal or surgical treatment received and somatic morbidity and mortality. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Somatic gene mutation in the human in relation to radiation risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendelsohn, M.L.

1992-01-01

This report discusses the measurement of somatic gene-mutation frequencies in the human. We ask the following questions. How well can they be measured? Do they respond to radiation? Can they also function as a dosimeter? What do they tell us about the somatic mutation theory of carcinogenesis?

Somatic Markers and Explicit Knowledge Are both Involved in Decision-Making

Science.gov (United States)

Guillaume, Sebastien; Jollant, Fabrice; Jaussent, Isabelle; Lawrence, Natalia; Malafosse, Alain; Courtet, Philippe

2009-01-01

In 1994, it was proposed that decision-making requires emotion-related signals, known as somatic markers. In contrast, some authors argued that conscious knowledge of contingencies is sufficient for advantageous decision-making. We aimed to investigate the respective roles of somatic markers and explicit knowledge in decision-making. Thirty…

PREDICTION OF BULLS’ SLAUGHTER VALUE FROM GROWTH DATA USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK

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Krzysztof ADAMCZYK

2006-02-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to investigate the usefulness of artifi cial neural network (ANN in the prediction of slaughter value of young crossbred bulls based on growth data. The studies were carried out on 104 bulls fattened from 120 days of life until the weight of 500 kg. The bulls were group fed using mainly farm feeds. After slaughter the carcasses were dissected and meat was subjected to physico-chemical and organoleptic analyses. The obtained data were used for the development of an artifi cial neural network model of slaughter value prediction. It was found that some slaughter value traits (hot carcass, cold half-carcass, neck and round weights, bone content in dissected elements in half-carcass, meat pH, dry-matter and protein contents in meat and meat tenderness and juiciness can be predicted with a considerably high accuracy using the artifi cial neural network.

Somatic symptoms of anxiety and nonadherence to statin therapy.

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Korhonen, Maarit Jaana; Pentti, Jaana; Hartikainen, Juha; Kivimäki, Mika; Vahtera, Jussi

2016-07-01

The association between anxiety and nonadherence to preventive therapies remains unclear. We investigated whether somatic symptoms of anxiety predict statin nonadherence. This is a prospective cohort study of 1924 individuals who responded to a questionnaire survey on health status and initiated statin therapy after the survey during 2008-2010. We followed the cohort for nonadherence, defined as the proportion of days covered pain upon anger or emotion, sweating without exercise, flushing, tremor of hands or voice, muscle twitching) before the statin initiation, and 16% had experienced at least one symptom on average weekly to daily. 49% of respondents were nonadherent. Weekly to daily occurrence of these symptoms predicted a 33% increase in the risk of nonadherence (risk ratio [RR] 1.33, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.13-1.57) compared to no symptoms when adjusted for sociodemographics, lifestyle risks, cardiovascular comorbidities, and depression. Particularly, chest pain upon anger or emotion (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.01-1.46) and muscle twitching (RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.08-1.42) predicted an increased risk of nonadherence to statin therapy. Psychological symptoms of anxiety were not associated with nonadherence when adjusted for somatic symptoms. Somatic anxiety-related symptoms predicted nonadherence to statin therapy. Information on pre-existing somatic symptoms may help identifying patients at increased risk of statin nonadherence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Central crosstalk for somatic tinnitus: abnormal vergence eye movements.

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Qing Yang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Frequent oulomotricity problems with orthoptic testing were reported in patients with tinnitus. This study examines with objective recordings vergence eye movements in patients with somatic tinnitus patients with ability to modify their subjective tinnitus percept by various movements, such as jaw, neck, eye movements or skin pressure. METHODS: Vergence eye movements were recorded with the Eyelink II video system in 15 (23-63 years control adults and 19 (36-62 years subjects with somatic tinnitus. FINDINGS: 1 Accuracy of divergence but not of convergence was lower in subjects with somatic tinnitus than in control subjects. 2 Vergence duration was longer and peak velocity was lower in subjects with somatic tinnitus than in control subjects. 3 The number of embedded saccades and the amplitude of saccades coinciding with the peak velocity of vergence were higher for tinnitus subjects. Yet, saccades did not increase peak velocity of vergence for tinnitus subjects, but they did so for controls. 4 In contrast, there was no significant difference of vergence latency between these two groups. INTERPRETATION: The results suggest dysfunction of vergence areas involving cortical-brainstem-cerebellar circuits. We hypothesize that central auditory dysfunction related to tinnitus percept could trigger mild cerebellar-brainstem dysfunction or that tinnitus and vergence dysfunction could both be manifestations of mild cortical-brainstem-cerebellar syndrome reflecting abnormal cross-modality interactions between vergence eye movements and auditory signals.

Local Actions of Melatonin in Somatic Cells of the Testis.

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Frungieri, Mónica Beatriz; Calandra, Ricardo Saúl; Rossi, Soledad Paola

2017-05-31

The pineal hormone melatonin regulates testicular function through the hypothalamic-adenohypophyseal axis. In addition, direct actions of melatonin in somatic cells of the testis have been described. Melatonin acts as a local modulator of the endocrine activity in Leydig cells. In Sertoli cells, melatonin influences cellular growth, proliferation, energy metabolism and the oxidation state, and consequently may regulate spermatogenesis. These data pinpoint melatonin as a key player in the regulation of testicular physiology (i.e., steroidogenesis, spermatogenesis) mostly in seasonal breeders. In patients with idiopathic infertility, melatonin exerts anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects on testicular macrophages, and provides protective effects against oxidative stress in testicular mast cells. Consequently, melatonin is also involved in the modulation of inflammatory and oxidant/anti-oxidant states in testicular pathology. Overall, the literature data indicate that melatonin has important effects on testicular function and male reproduction.

Emotion, Decision-Making and Substance Dependence: A Somatic-Marker Model of Addiction

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Verdejo-García, A; Pérez-García, M; Bechara, A

2006-01-01

Similar to patients with orbitofrontal cortex lesions, substance dependent individuals (SDI) show signs of impairments in decision-making, characterised by a tendency to choose the immediate reward at the expense of severe negative future consequences. The somatic-marker hypothesis proposes that decision-making depends in many important ways on neural substrates that regulate homeostasis, emotion and feeling. According to this model, there should be a link between abnormalities in experiencing emotions in SDI, and their severe impairments in decision-making in real-life. Growing evidence from neuroscientific studies suggests that core aspects of substance addiction may be explained in terms of abnormal emotional guidance of decision-making. Behavioural studies have revealed emotional processing and decision-making deficits in SDI. Combined neuropsychological and physiological assessment has demonstrated that the poorer decision-making of SDI is associated with altered reactions to reward and punishing events. Imaging studies have shown that impaired decision-making in addiction is associated with abnormal functioning of a distributed neural network critical for the processing of emotional information, including the ventromedial cortex, the amygdala, the striatum, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the insular/somato-sensory cortices, as well as non-specific neurotransmitter systems that modulate activities of neural processes involved in decision-making. The aim of this paper is to review this growing evidence, and to examine the extent of which these studies support a somatic-marker model of addiction. PMID:18615136

Label-Free Quantitative Proteomics of Embryogenic and Non-Embryogenic Callus during Sugarcane Somatic Embryogenesis.

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Angelo Schuabb Heringer

Full Text Available The development of somatic cells in to embryogenic cells occurs in several stages and ends in somatic embryo formation, though most of these biochemical and molecular changes have yet to be elucidated. Somatic embryogenesis coupled with genetic transformation could be a biotechnological tool to improve potential crop yields potential in sugarcane cultivars. The objective of this study was to observe somatic embryo development and to identify differentially expressed proteins in embryogenic (E and non-embryogenic (NE callus during maturation treatment. E and NE callus were cultured on maturation culture medium supplemented with different concentrations (0.0, 0.75, 1.5 and 2.0 g L(-1 of activated charcoal (AC. Somatic embryo formation and differential protein expression were evaluated at days 0 and 21 using shotgun proteomic analyses. Treatment with 1.5 g L(-1 AC resulted in higher somatic embryo maturation rates (158 somatic embryos in 14 days in E callus but has no effect in NE callus. A total of 752 co-expressed proteins were identified through the SUCEST (The Sugarcane EST Project, including many housekeeping proteins. E callus showed 65 exclusive proteins on day 0, including dehydrogenase, desiccation-related protein, callose synthase 1 and nitric oxide synthase. After 21 days on maturation treatment, 14 exclusive proteins were identified in E callus, including catalase and secreted protein. NE callus showed 23 exclusive proteins on day 0 and 10 exclusive proteins after 21 days on maturation treatment, including many proteins related to protein degradation. The induction of maturation leads to somatic embryo development, which likely depends on the expression of specific proteins throughout the process, as seen in E callus under maturation treatment. On the other hand, some exclusive proteins can also specifically prevent of somatic embryos development, as seen in the NE callus.

Fishery-induced selection for slow somatic growth in European eel.

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Daniele Bevacqua

Full Text Available Both theoretical and experimental studies have shown that fishing mortality can induce adaptive responses in body growth rates of fishes in the opposite direction of natural selection. We compared body growth rates in European eel (Anguilla anguilla from three Mediterranean stocks subject to different fishing pressure. Results are consistent with the hypotheses that i fast-growing individuals are more likely to survive until sexual maturity than slow-growing ones under natural conditions (no fishing and ii fishing can select for slow-growing individuals by removing fast-growing ones. Although the possibility of human-induced evolution seems remote for a panmictic species like such as the European eel, further research is desirable to assess the implications of the intensive exploitation on this critically endangered fish.

Decision-making, somatic markers and emotion processing in opiate users.

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Biernacki, Kathryn; Terrett, Gill; McLennan, Skye N; Labuschagne, Izelle; Morton, Phoebe; Rendell, Peter G

2018-01-01

Opiate use is associated with deficits in decision-making. A possible explanation for these deficits is provided by the somatic marker hypothesis, which suggests that substance users may experience abnormal emotional responses during decision-making involving reward and punishment. This in turn may interfere with the brief physiological arousal, i.e. somatic markers that normally occur in anticipation of risky decisions. To date, the applicability of the somatic marker hypothesis to explain decision-making deficits has not been investigated in opiate users. This study assessed whether decision-making deficits in opiate users were related to abnormal emotional responses and reduced somatic markers. Opiate users enrolled in an opiate substitute treatment program (n = 28) and healthy controls (n = 32) completed the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) while their skin conductance responses (SCRs) were recorded. Participants' emotional responses to emotion-eliciting videos were also recorded using SCRs and subjective ratings. Opiate users displayed poorer decision-making on the IGT than did controls. However, there were no differences between the groups in SCRs; both groups displayed stronger SCRs following punishment than following reward, and both groups displayed stronger anticipatory SCRs prior to disadvantageous decisions than advantageous decisions. There were no group differences in objective or subjective measures of emotional responses to the videos. The results suggest that deficits in emotional responsiveness are not apparent in opiate users who are receiving pharmacological treatment. Thus, the somatic marker hypothesis does not provide a good explanation for the decision-making deficits in this group.

Somatic FAS mutations are common in patients with genetically undefined autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome.

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Dowdell, Kennichi C; Niemela, Julie E; Price, Susan; Davis, Joie; Hornung, Ronald L; Oliveira, João Bosco; Puck, Jennifer M; Jaffe, Elaine S; Pittaluga, Stefania; Cohen, Jeffrey I; Fleisher, Thomas A; Rao, V Koneti

2010-06-24

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is characterized by childhood onset of lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, autoimmune cytopenias, elevated numbers of double-negative T (DNT) cells, and increased risk of lymphoma. Most cases of ALPS are associated with germline mutations of the FAS gene (type Ia), whereas some cases have been noted to have a somatic mutation of FAS primarily in their DNT cells. We sought to determine the proportion of patients with somatic FAS mutations among a group of our ALPS patients with no detectable germline mutation and to further characterize them. We found more than one-third (12 of 31) of the patients tested had somatic FAS mutations, primarily involving the intracellular domain of FAS resulting in loss of normal FAS signaling. Similar to ALPS type Ia patients, the somatic ALPS patients had increased DNT cell numbers and elevated levels of serum vitamin B(12), interleukin-10, and sFAS-L. These data support testing for somatic FAS mutations in DNT cells from ALPS patients with no detectable germline mutation and a similar clinical and laboratory phenotype to that of ALPS type Ia. These findings also highlight the potential role for somatic mutations in the pathogenesis of nonmalignant and/or autoimmune hematologic conditions in adults and children.

In vitro regeneration of some Iranian alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. genotypes via somatic embryogenesis

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Majid Shokrpour

2014-12-01

Full Text Available An effective in vitro regeneration system is one of the prerequisites for genetic manipulation of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. varieties and genotypes. In this research, somatic embryogenesis of four alfalfa genotypes, 6-18 (synthetic, 4-14 (Kara Yonje- Karakozlu, 3-27 (Kara Yonje Maraghe and y-6 (Regen-SY, were investigated using leaf and petiole explants. Formation of callus and somatic embryogenesis was significantly influenced by the explant type and interaction of genotype and culture medium. Petiole explants of genotype 4-14 produced the highest yield of callus (0.406 gr fresh weight of callus. Percentage of somatic embryogenesis and the number of embryos per callus in petiole explants of genotype 4-14 was higher than those of other genotypes and explants. In genotype 6-18, the highest percentage of somatic embryogenesis was achieved on MS medium containing 5 mg/L 2,4-D and 2 mg/L kinetin. There was no significant differences between genotypes and explants in terms of embryo conversion to plantlet, and on average, 58% of somatic embryos converted to plantlet on MS medium. The petiole explants of genotype 6-18 did not exhibit somatic embryogenesis response in medium containing low ratio of 2,4-D:Kinetin (5 mg/L 2,4-D and 2 mg/L kinetin. While, these explants showed somatic embryogenesis in higher ratio of 2,4-D:Kinetin (5:1. The plantlet conversion efficiency of somatic embryos produced through this study was relatively higher and therefore, the method presented in this study could be used in alfalfa genetic manipulation and molecular studies.

Comparison of Excretory-Secretory and Somatic Antigens of Ornithobilharzia turkestanicum in Agar Gel Diffusion Test

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H Miranzadeh

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Ornithobilharziosis as one of the parasitic infections may give rise to serious economic problems in animal husbandry. The Aim of the study was to prepare and compare the somatic and excretory-secretory (ES antigens of O. tur­kestanicum in gel diffusion test. Methods: Excretory-secretory (ES and somatic antigens of Ornithobilharzia turkestanicum were prepared from collected worms from mesentric blood vessels of infected sheep. The laboratory bred rabbits were immunized with antigens and then antisera were prepared. The reaction of antigens and antisera was observed in gel diffusion test. Results: ES antigens of this species showed positive reaction with antisera raised against ES and also somatic antigens. Somatic antigens also showed positive reaction with antisera raised against somatic and also ES antigens. Conclusion: The antigenicity of O. turkestanicum ES and somatic antigens is the same in gel diffusion test.

Somatic comorbidity among migrants with posttraumatic stress disorder and depression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lolk, Mette; Byberg, Stine; Carlsson, Jessica

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: In a cohort of migrants in Denmark, we compared somatic disease incidence among migrants diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression with migrants without a diagnosed psychiatric disorder. METHODS: The study builds on a unique cohort of migrants who obtained...... for the implementation of the project (No 2012-41-0065). RESULTS: Our results showed that migrants diagnosed with PTSD and depression had significantly higher rates of somatic diseases compared with migrants without diagnosed psychiatric disorders - especially, infectious disease (IRR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.45-2.48; p ... with migrants without a diagnosed psychiatric disorder. The rates were especially high for infectious, neurological and pulmonary diseases. Our results further suggest difference in the rates of somatic comorbidity according to region of. Preventive and treatment services should pay special attention to improve...

Abscisic acid regulates root growth under osmotic stress conditions via an interacting hormonal network with cytokinin, ethylene and auxin.

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Rowe, James H; Topping, Jennifer F; Liu, Junli; Lindsey, Keith

2016-07-01

Understanding the mechanisms regulating root development under drought conditions is an important question for plant biology and world agriculture. We examine the effect of osmotic stress on abscisic acid (ABA), cytokinin and ethylene responses and how they mediate auxin transport, distribution and root growth through effects on PIN proteins. We integrate experimental data to construct hormonal crosstalk networks to formulate a systems view of root growth regulation by multiple hormones. Experimental analysis shows: that ABA-dependent and ABA-independent stress responses increase under osmotic stress, but cytokinin responses are only slightly reduced; inhibition of root growth under osmotic stress does not require ethylene signalling, but auxin can rescue root growth and meristem size; osmotic stress modulates auxin transporter levels and localization, reducing root auxin concentrations; PIN1 levels are reduced under stress in an ABA-dependent manner, overriding ethylene effects; and the interplay among ABA, ethylene, cytokinin and auxin is tissue-specific, as evidenced by differential responses of PIN1 and PIN2 to osmotic stress. Combining experimental analysis with network construction reveals that ABA regulates root growth under osmotic stress conditions via an interacting hormonal network with cytokinin, ethylene and auxin. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Direct Transcriptional Consequences of Somatic Mutation in Breast Cancer

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Adam Shlien

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Disordered transcriptomes of cancer encompass direct effects of somatic mutation on transcription, coordinated secondary pathway alterations, and increased transcriptional noise. To catalog the rules governing how somatic mutation exerts direct transcriptional effects, we developed an exhaustive pipeline for analyzing RNA sequencing data, which we integrated with whole genomes from 23 breast cancers. Using X-inactivation analyses, we found that cancer cells are more transcriptionally active than intermixed stromal cells. This is especially true in estrogen receptor (ER-negative tumors. Overall, 59% of substitutions were expressed. Nonsense mutations showed lower expression levels than expected, with patterns characteristic of nonsense-mediated decay. 14% of 4,234 rearrangements caused transcriptional abnormalities, including exon skips, exon reusage, fusions, and premature polyadenylation. We found productive, stable transcription from sense-to-antisense gene fusions and gene-to-intergenic rearrangements, suggesting that these mutation classes drive more transcriptional disruption than previously suspected. Systematic integration of transcriptome with genome data reveals the rules by which transcriptional machinery interprets somatic mutation.

Sexual Victimization and Somatic Complaints in Pregnancy: Examination of Depression as a Mediator.

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Littleton, Heather

2015-01-01

Research suggests that women with histories of sexual victimization are more likely to experience somatic complaints in pregnancy. However, prior studies have been limited by homogenous samples, have primarily only examined the relationship of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) to somatic complaints, and have not examined potential mechanisms explaining this association. Thus, the current study examined the relationship between lifetime sexual victimization history and somatic complaints in pregnancy in an ethnically diverse sample of pregnant women. Additionally, depressive symptoms were examined as a mediator of the sexual victimization-somatic complaints relationship. Women were recruited from the waiting room of a university-affiliated obstetrics-gynecology clinic to complete a study of psychological health and negative sexual experiences. The 407 currently pregnant participants who completed measures of their sexual victimization history, depressive symptoms, and somatic complaints were primarily African American (53.6%), low to middle income (75.4%), and reported an unplanned pregnancy (72%). A total of 27.7% of women had a history of CSA and/or adolescent/adult sexual assault. Mediation analyses using bootstrapping supported depression as a significant mediator of the relationship between sexual victimization and somatic complaints, with a medium-sized effect (κ(2) = .09). Having a history of sexual victimization is associated with risk for poor mental and physical health during pregnancy. There are likely multiple mechanisms explaining the association between sexual victimization and somatic complaints in pregnancy, which should be investigated in future research. Copyright © 2015 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The relationship of PTSD to key somatic complaints and cultural syndromes among Cambodian refugees attending a psychiatric clinic: the Cambodian Somatic Symptom and Syndrome Inventory (CSSI).

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Hinton, Devon E; Kredlow, M Alexandra; Pich, Vuth; Bui, Eric; Hofmann, Stefan G

2013-06-01

This article describes a culturally sensitive questionnaire for the assessment of the effects of trauma in the Cambodian refugee population, the Cambodian Somatic Symptom and Syndrome Inventory (CSSI), and gives the results of a survey with the instrument. The survey examined the relationship of the CSSI, the two CSSI subscales, and the CSSI items to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity and self-perceived functioning. A total of 226 traumatized Cambodian refugees were assessed at a psychiatric clinic in Lowell, MA, USA. There was a high correlation of the CSSI, the CSSI somatic and syndrome scales, and all the CSSI items to the PTSD Checklist (PCL), a measure of PTSD severity. All the CSSI items varied greatly across three levels of PTSD severity, and patients with higher levels of PTSD had very high scores on certain CSSI-assessed somatic items such as dizziness, orthostatic dizziness (upon standing), and headache, and on certain CSSI-assessed cultural syndromes such as khyâl attacks, "fear of fainting and dying upon standing up," and "thinking a lot." The CSSI was more highly correlated than the PCL to self-perceived disability assessed by the Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12). The study demonstrates that the somatic symptoms and cultural syndromes described by the CSSI form a central part of the Cambodian refugee trauma ontology. The survey indicates that locally salient somatic symptoms and cultural syndromes need be profiled to adequately assess the effects of trauma.

symptomatology and comorbidity of somatization disorder amongst

African Journals Online (AJOL)

underlying mental disorder, manifesting solely as somatic symptoms or with ... unsatisfactory visit and seemingly ineffective treatment plan. ... patients of all ages and both gender with various ..... identity and physical health: Interdisciplinary.

A class of vertex-edge-growth small-world network models having scale-free, self-similar and hierarchical characters

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Ma, Fei; Su, Jing; Hao, Yongxing; Yao, Bing; Yan, Guanghui

2018-02-01

The problem of uncovering the internal operating function of network models is intriguing, demanded and attractive in researches of complex networks. Notice that, in the past two decades, a great number of artificial models are built to try to answer the above mentioned task. Based on the different growth ways, these previous models can be divided into two categories, one type, possessing the preferential attachment, follows a power-law P(k) ∼k-γ, 2 motivated from a new attachment way, vertex-edge-growth network-operation, more precisely, the couple of both them. We report that this model is sparse, small world and hierarchical. And then, not only is scale-free feature in our model, but also lies the degree parameter γ(≈ 3 . 242) out the typical range. Note that, we suggest that the coexistence of multiple vertex growth ways will have a prominent effect on the power-law parameter γ, and the preferential attachment plays a dominate role on the development of networks over time. At the end of this paper, we obtain an exact analytical expression for the total number of spanning trees of models and also capture spanning trees entropy which we have compared with those of their corresponding component elements.

Replication of somatic micronuclei in bovine enucleated oocytes

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Canel Natalia

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Microcell-mediated chromosome transfer (MMCT was developed to introduce a low number of chromosomes into a host cell. We have designed a novel technique combining part of MMCT with somatic cell nuclear transfer, which consists of injecting a somatic micronucleus into an enucleated oocyte, and inducing its cellular machinery to replicate such micronucleus. It would allow the isolation and manipulation of a single or a low number of somatic chromosomes. Methods Micronuclei from adult bovine fibroblasts were produced by incubation in 0.05 μg/ml demecolcine for 46 h followed by 2 mg/ml mitomycin for 2 h. Cells were finally treated with 10 μg/ml cytochalasin B for 1 h. In vitro matured bovine oocytes were mechanically enucleated and intracytoplasmatically injected with one somatic micronucleus, which had been previously exposed [Micronucleus- injected (+] or not [Micronucleus- injected (−] to a transgene (50 ng/μl pCX-EGFP during 5 min. Enucleated oocytes [Enucleated (+] and parthenogenetic [Parthenogenetic (+] controls were injected into the cytoplasm with less than 10 pl of PVP containing 50 ng/μl pCX-EGFP. A non-injected parthenogenetic control [Parthenogenetic (−] was also included. Two hours after injection, oocytes and reconstituted embryos were activated by incubation in 5 μM ionomycin for 4 min + 1.9 mM 6-DMAP for 3 h. Cleavage stage and egfp expression were evaluated. DNA replication was confirmed by DAPI staining. On day 2, Micronucleus- injected (−, Parthenogenetic (− and in vitro fertilized (IVF embryos were karyotyped. Differences among treatments were determined by Fisher′s exact test (p≤0.05. Results All the experimental groups underwent the first cell divisions. Interestingly, a low number of Micronucleus-injected embryos showed egfp expression. DAPI staining confirmed replication of micronuclei in most of the evaluated embryos. Karyotype analysis revealed that all Micronucleus-injected embryos had

Transformation rules and degradation of CAHs by Fentonlike oxidation in growth ring of water distribution network-A review

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Zhong, D.; Ma, W. C.; Jiang, X. Q.; Yuan, Y. X.; Yuan, Y.; Wang, Z. Q.; Fang, T. T.; Huang, W. Y.

2017-08-01

Chlorinated hydrocarbons are widely used as organic solvent and chemical raw materials. After treatment, water polluted with trichloroethylene (TCE)/tetrachloroethylene (PCE) can reach the water quality requirements, while water with trace amounts of TCE/PCE is still harmful to humans, which will cause cancers. Water distribution network is an extremely complicated system, in which adsorption, desorption, flocculation, movement, transformation and reduction will occur, leading to changes of TCE/PCE concentrations and products. Therefore, it is important to investigate the transformation rules of TCE/PCE in water distribution network. What’s more, growth-ring, including drinking water pipes deposits, can act as catalysts in Fenton-like reagent (H2O2). This review summarizes the status of transformation rules of CAHs in water distribution network. It also evaluates the effectiveness and fruit of CAHs degradation by Fenton-like reagent based on growth-ring. This review is important in solving the potential safety problems caused by TCE/PCE in water distribution network.

Somatic and genetic effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broerse, J.J.; Barendsen, G.W.; Kal, H.B.; Kogel, A.J. van der

1983-01-01

This book contains the extended abstracts of the contributions of the poster workshop sessions on somatic and genetic effects of the 7th international congress of radiation research. They cover the following main topics: haematopoietic and immune systems, mechanisms of late effects in various tissues, endogenous and exogenous factors in radiation carcinogenesis, teratogenic effects, genetic effects, in vitro transformation, tumour induction in different tissues, carcinogenesis in incorporated tissues, cancer epidemology and risk assessment. refs.; figs.; tabs

Tree growth-climate relationships in a forest-plot network on Mediterranean mountains.

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Fyllas, Nikolaos M; Christopoulou, Anastasia; Galanidis, Alexandros; Michelaki, Chrysanthi Z; Dimitrakopoulos, Panayiotis G; Fulé, Peter Z; Arianoutsou, Margarita

2017-11-15

In this study we analysed a novel tree-growth dataset, inferred from annual ring-width measurements, of 7 forest tree species from 12 mountain regions in Greece, in order to identify tree growth - climate relationships. The tree species of interest were: Abies cephalonica, Abies borisii-regis, Picea abies, Pinus nigra, Pinus sylvestris, Fagus sylvatica and Quercus frainetto growing across a gradient of climate conditions with mean annual temperature ranging from 5.7 to 12.6°C and total annual precipitation from 500 to 950mm. In total, 344 tree cores (one per tree) were analysed across a network of 20 study sites. We found that water availability during the summer period (May-August) was a strong predictor of interannual variation in tree growth for all study species. Across species and sites, annual tree growth was positively related to summer season precipitation (P SP ). The responsiveness of annual growth to P SP was tightly related to species and site specific measurements of instantaneous photosynthetic water use efficiency (WUE), suggesting that the growth of species with efficient water use is more responsive to variations in precipitation during the dry months of the year. Our findings support the importance of water availability for the growth of mountainous Mediterranean tree species and highlight that future reductions in precipitation are likely to lead to reduced tree-growth under climate change conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ballet as Somatic Practice: A Case Study Exploring the Integration of Somatic Practices in Ballet Pedagogy

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Berg, Tanya

2017-01-01

This case study explores one teacher's integration of Alexander Technique and the work of neuromuscular retrainer Irene Dowd in ballet pedagogy to establish a somatic approach to teaching, learning, and performing ballet technique. This case study highlights the teacher's unique teaching method called IMAGE TECH for dancers (ITD) and offers…

Somatic delusions and obsessive-compulsive disorder in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2009-10-12

Oct 12, 2009 ... Case Study: Somatic delusions and obsessive-compulsive disorder in schizophrenia. 527. Vol 52 No 6 ... liver function, and urea and electrolytes), including an ... neurotransmitter systems (such as serotonin and dopamine).

Cellular and molecular changes associated with somatic embryogenesis induction in Agave tequilana.

Science.gov (United States)

Portillo, L; Olmedilla, A; Santacruz-Ruvalcaba, F

2012-10-01

In spite of the importance of somatic embryogenesis for basic research in plant embryology as well as for crop improvement and plant propagation, it is still unclear which mechanisms and cell signals are involved in acquiring embryogenic competence by a somatic cell. The aim of this work was to study cellular and molecular changes involved in the induction stage in calli of Agave tequilana Weber cultivar azul in order to gain more information on the initial stages of somatic embryogenesis in this species. Cytochemical and immunocytochemical techniques were used to identify differences between embryogenic and non-embryogenic cells from several genotypes. Presence of granular structures was detected after somatic embryogenesis induction in embryogenic cells; composition of these structures as well as changes in protein and polysaccharide distribution was studied using Coomassie brilliant blue and Periodic Acid-Schiff stains. Distribution of arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) and pectins was investigated in embryogenic and non-embryogenic cells by immunolabelling using anti-AGP monoclonal antibodies (JIM4, JIM8 and JIM13) as well as an anti-methyl-esterified pectin-antibody (JIM7), in order to evaluate major modifications in cell wall composition in the initial stages of somatic embryogenesis. Our observations pointed out that induction of somatic embryogenesis produced accumulation of proteins and polysaccharides in embryogenic cells. Presence of JIM8, JIM13 and JIM7 epitopes were detected exclusively in embryogenic cells, which supports the idea that specific changes in cell wall are involved in the acquisition of embryogenic competence of A. tequilana.

Embodied Feeling and Reason in Decision-Making: Assessing the Somatic-Marker Hypothesis

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Warren TenHouten

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Whether or not reason and affect are complementary depends on the task at hand. In ordinary circumstances, problemsolving and decision-making involve both somatic feelings and limbic-structure-based emotions. Feelings, experienced as states of the body, can contribute to decision-making by triggering heuristic cues and rapidly eliminating negative behavioral alternatives, in part by providing what Damasio call somatic markers (Damasio, Tranel and Damasio, 1991; Damasio, 1994, 1999, 2003. However, if task-performance is motivated by potentially large rewards, with high demands on short-term memory and on concentration, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortexcan inhibit affects manifested in the medial prefrontal cortex in order to carry out the necessary cognitive operations. We interpret these two different mental task situations using dual process models. Although experimental evidence from studies of normal subjects and frontal-lobe-damaged patients performing the Iowa Gambling Task has been interpreted as supportive of the somatic-marker hypothesis (SMH, we show that this evidence has been called into question due to faulty study designs. However, studies of normal and psychopathic subjects playing the ultimatum game show that pulse-rate deceleration occurring during the brief period preceding decision-making constitutes a somatic marker. Compared to normal controls, psychopaths show less somatic (electro dermal activity and act with cool, economic rationality, accepting unfair (<50/50 offers that normal subjects reject on the basis of non-economic values of fairness. The somatic-marker hypothesis is discussed and criticized, and various theories based on this hypothesis are identified.

Role of Strong versus Weak Networks in Small Business Growth in an Emerging Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Kamil Kozan

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The study tests whether strong rather than weak ties account for small business growth in Turkey. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire filled out by the owners of small firms operating in four cities. Growth is comprised of two main areas, production expansion and knowledge acquisition. Results show that strong ties are positively related to both types of growth. In contrast, loose ties have no effect on small business growth in either area. This finding is attributed to the influence of the collectivistic nature of the mainstream Turkish culture, where owners of small businesses are likely to rely on in-groups rather than out-groups for advice and for financial support. Implications of relative absence of weak ties for small business growth and innovation in emerging economies are discussed. The findings suggest that culture should be included as a contingency variable in future studies of network strength and growth relationship. The paper also discusses the possible moderating role of affective and cognition-based trust in the relation of strong and weak ties to small business growth.

Health Anxiety in Panic Disorder, Somatization Disorder and Hypochondriasis

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Özgün Karaer KARAPIÇAK

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: Health anxiety is the fear of being or getting seriously sick due to the misinterpretation of physical symptoms. Severe health anxiety is also named as hypochondriasis. Belief of having a disease due to the misinterpretation of physical symptoms is also seen in panic disorder and somatization disorder. The aim of this study is to search the health anxiety in panic disorder, somatization disorder and hypochondriasis and compare it with healthy volunteers. Method: SCID-I was used to determine psychiatric disorders in patient group. In order to assess the clinical state and disease severity of the patient group; Panic and Agoraphobia Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology were used for patients with panic disorder and Symptom Interpretation Questionnaire, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology were used for patients with somatization disorder and hypochondriasis. Brief Symptom Inventory was used to assess psychopathology in healthy group. In order to evaluate health anxiety of both groups, Health Anxiety Inventory-Short Form was used. Results: Results of this study support that health anxiety is a significant major component of hypochondriasis. On the other hand, health anxiety seems to be common in panic disorder and somatization disorder. Health anxiety also may be a part of depression or present in healthy people. Conclusion: Further studies are needed in order to search how to manage health anxiety appropriately and which psychotherapeutic interventions are more effective.

Somatic Embryos in Catharanthus roseus: A Scanning Electron Microscopic Study

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Junaid ASLAM

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Catharanthus roseus (L. G. Don is an important medicinal plant as it contains several anti-cancerous compounds, like vinblastine and vincristine. Plant tissue culture technology (organogenesis and embryogenesis has currently been used in fast mass propagating raw materials for secondary metabolite synthesis. In this present communication, scanning electron microscopic (SEM study of somatic embryos was conducted and discussed. The embryogenic callus was first induced from hypocotyls of in vitro germinated seeds on which somatic embryos, differentiated in numbers, particularly on 2,4-D (1.0 mg/L Murashige and Skoog (MS was medium. To understand more about the regeneration method and in vitro formed embryos SEM was performed. The SEM study revealed normal somatic embryo origin and development from globular to heart-, torpedo- and then into cotyledonary-stage of embryos. At early stage, the embryos were clustered together in a callus mass and could not easily be detached from the parental tissue. The embryos were often long cylindrical structure with or without typical notch at the tip. Secondary embryos were also formed on primary embryo structure. The advanced cotyledonary embryos showed prominent roots and shoot axis, which germinated into plantlets. The morphology, structure and other details of somatic embryos at various stages were presented.

Hypochondriasis and somatization in college women: a personal projects analysis.

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Karoly, P; Lecci, L

1993-03-01

Although the descriptive features of hypochondriasis and somatization have been widely studied, the motivational correlates (goal representations) of individuals manifesting abnormal illness patterns have not been considered. The Personal Projects Analysis method (Little, 1983) was used to contrast the health and nonhealth goals of female undergraduates. Subjects selected 10 goals for evaluation along a series of dimensions. When health pursuits alone were examined, hypochondriasis on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory was found to correlate directly with goal appraisal dimensions subsumed by an anxiety-absorption factor and inversely with dimensions characterizing rewardingness, thus suggesting a negativity of health goal construal. Somatizers also pursued more health-related projects than did nonsomatizers; nonhealth goal cognition did not relate as strongly to hypochondriasis. Finally, using discriminant function analysis, goal representations were shown to significantly and substantially differentiate somatizers from nonsomatizers.

Systematic review of measurement properties of questionnaires measuring somatization in primary care patients.

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Sitnikova, Kate; Dijkstra-Kersten, Sandra M A; Mokkink, Lidwine B; Terluin, Berend; van Marwijk, Harm W J; Leone, Stephanie S; van der Horst, Henriëtte E; van der Wouden, Johannes C

2017-12-01

The aim of this review is to critically appraise the evidence on measurement properties of self-report questionnaires measuring somatization in adult primary care patients and to provide recommendations about which questionnaires are most useful for this purpose. We assessed the methodological quality of included studies using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. To draw overall conclusions about the quality of the questionnaires, we conducted an evidence synthesis using predefined criteria for judging the measurement properties. We found 24 articles on 9 questionnaires. Studies on the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) and the Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ) somatization subscale prevailed and covered the broadest range of measurement properties. These questionnaires had the best internal consistency, test-retest reliability, structural validity, and construct validity. The PHQ-15 also had good criterion validity, whereas the 4DSQ somatization subscale was validated in several languages. The Bodily Distress Syndrome (BDS) checklist had good internal consistency and structural validity. Some evidence was found for good construct validity and criterion validity of the Physical Symptom Checklist (PSC-51) and good construct validity of the Symptom Check-List (SCL-90-R) somatization subscale. However, these three questionnaires were only studied in a small number of primary care studies. Based on our findings, we recommend the use of either the PHQ-15 or 4DSQ somatization subscale for somatization in primary care. Other questionnaires, such as the BDS checklist, PSC-51 and the SCL-90-R somatization subscale show promising results but have not been studied extensively in primary care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Somatic USP8 Gene Mutations Are a Common Cause of Pediatric Cushing Disease.

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Faucz, Fabio R; Tirosh, Amit; Tatsi, Christina; Berthon, Annabel; Hernández-Ramírez, Laura C; Settas, Nikolaos; Angelousi, Anna; Correa, Ricardo; Papadakis, Georgios Z; Chittiboina, Prashant; Quezado, Martha; Pankratz, Nathan; Lane, John; Dimopoulos, Aggeliki; Mills, James L; Lodish, Maya; Stratakis, Constantine A

2017-08-01

Somatic mutations in the ubiquitin-specific protease 8 (USP8) gene have been recently identified as the most common genetic alteration in patients with Cushing disease (CD). However, the frequency of these mutations in the pediatric population has not been extensively assessed. We investigated the status of the USP8 gene at the somatic level in a cohort of pediatric patients with corticotroph adenomas. The USP8 gene was fully sequenced in both germline and tumor DNA samples from 42 pediatric patients with CD. Clinical, biochemical, and imaging data were compared between patients with and without somatic USP8 mutations. Five different USP8 mutations (three missense, one frameshift, and one in-frame deletion) were identified in 13 patients (31%), all of them located in exon 14 at the previously described mutational hotspot, affecting the 14-3-3 binding motif of the protein. Patients with somatic mutations were older at disease presentation [mean 5.1 ± 2.1 standard deviation (SD) vs 13.1 ± 3.6 years, P = 0.03]. Levels of urinary free cortisol, midnight serum cortisol, and adrenocorticotropic hormone, as well as tumor size and frequency of invasion of the cavernous sinus, were not significantly different between the two groups. However, patients harboring somatic USP8 mutations had a higher likelihood of recurrence compared with patients without mutations (46.2% vs 10.3%, P = 0.009). Somatic USP8 gene mutations are a common cause of pediatric CD. Patients harboring a somatic mutation had a higher likelihood of tumor recurrence, highlighting the potential importance of this molecular defect for the disease prognosis and the development of targeted therapeutic options. Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society

Use of somatic cell banks in the conservation of wild felids.

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Praxedes, Érika A; Borges, Alana A; Santos, Maria V O; Pereira, Alexsandra F

2018-05-03

The conservation of biological resources is an interesting strategy for the maintenance of biodiversity, especially for wild felids who are constantly threatened with extinction. For this purpose, cryopreservation techniques have been used for the long-term storage of gametes, embryos, gonadal tissues, and somatic cells and tissues. The establishment of these banks has been suggested as a practical approach to the preservation of species and, when done in tandem with assisted reproductive techniques, could provide the means for reproducing endangered species. Somatic cell banks have been shown remarkable for the conservation of genetic material of felids; by merely obtaining skin samples, it is possible to sample a large group of individuals without being limited by factors such as gender or age. Thus, techniques for somatic tissue recovery, cryopreservation, and in vitro culture of different wild felids have been developed, resulting in a viable method for the conservation of species. One of the most notable conservation programs for wild felines using somatic samples was the one carried out for the Iberian lynx, the most endangered feline in the world. Other wild felids have also been studied in other continents, such as the jaguar in South America. This review aims to present the technical progress achieved in the conservation of somatic cells and tissues in different wild felids, as well address the progress that has been achieved in a few species. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lethals induced by γ-radiation in drosophila somatic cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, A.I.

1989-01-01

Exposure of 3-hour drosophila male embryos to γ-radiation during the topographic segregation of the germ anlage nuclei caused recessive sex-linked lethals in somatic cells only. The selectivity of the screening was determined by the ratio of mutation frequencies induced in embryos and adult males. Analysis of lethal mutations shows that a minimal rate of the divergence between germinal and somatic patterns of the cell development is observed in the embryogenesis, the 3d instar larva and prepupa, and maximal in the 1st and 2nd larva and pupa

Linking Anger Trait with Somatization in Low-Grade College Students: Moderating Roles of Family Cohesion and Adaptability.

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Liu, Liang; Liu, Cuilian; Zhao, Xudong

2017-02-25

Between 22% and 58% of patients in primary care settings complain of somatic symptoms. Previous research has found that somatization was associated with anger traits and family functions. However, studies that specifically assess the moderating effect of family function in how anger traits become somatic complaints are lacking. This study was designed to examine whether the variances in family cohesion and family adaptability moderated the strength of the relationship between anger traits and somatization. A cross-section design was conducted and 2008 college students were recruited from a comprehensive university in Shanghai. All participants finished questionnaires including Symptom Check List- 90 (SCL-90), State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory 2 (STAXI-2, Chinese version) and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale, second edition (FACES II, Chinese Version) to assess their degree of current somatization, anger trait and family function. Hierarchical linear regression analysis (Enter) was conducted respectively for men and women to examine the moderation effect of family cohesion and family adaptability in the association between anger and somatization. Somatic symptoms were significantly linked in the expected directions with depression and anger trait for both genders. Family cohesion and family adaptability were negatively associated with somatic symptoms. For female college students family cohesion was found to moderate the link between anger trait and somatization, but for male college students the moderation effect of family cohesion was marginally significant. The moderating role of family adaptability was significant for neither male nor female after current depressive symptoms were accounted for. Proneness to anger is an independent predictor of somatization. For women, a high level of family cohesion was a protective factor which could reduce the influence of anger trait on somatic symptoms. Without comorbidity of current depression, family

Alexithymia and Somatosensory Amplification Link Perceived Psychosocial Stress and Somatic Symptoms in Outpatients with Psychosomatic Illness

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Mutsuhiro Nakao

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Psychosomatic patients often complain of a variety of somatic symptoms. We sought to clarify the role of clinical predictors of complaints of somatic symptoms. Methods: We enrolled 604 patients visiting a psychosomatic outpatient clinic. The outcome was the total number of somatic symptoms, and the candidate clinical predictors were perceived psychosocial stress, alexithymia, somatosensory amplification, adaptation, anxiety, and depression. All participants completed questionnaires assessing the outcome and the predictors. Results: The average number of reported somatic symptoms was 4.8; the most frequent was fatigue (75.3%, followed by insomnia (56.1%, low-back pain (49.5%, headache (44.7%, and palpitations (43.1%. Multiple regression analysis showed that the total number of somatic symptoms was significantly associated with the degree of perceived psychosocial stress, alexithymia, somatosensory amplification, and depression. Also, structural equation models indicated links between excessive adaptation (via perceived psychosocial stress, alexithymia, and somatosensory amplification and the total number of somatic symptoms. Conclusion: The results suggested that the association between psychosocial stress and reported somatic symptoms is mediated by alexithymia and somatosensory amplification in psychosomatic patients.

Ground rules of the pluripotency gene regulatory network.

KAUST Repository

Li, Mo

2017-01-03

Pluripotency is a state that exists transiently in the early embryo and, remarkably, can be recapitulated in vitro by deriving embryonic stem cells or by reprogramming somatic cells to become induced pluripotent stem cells. The state of pluripotency, which is stabilized by an interconnected network of pluripotency-associated genes, integrates external signals and exerts control over the decision between self-renewal and differentiation at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and epigenetic levels. Recent evidence of alternative pluripotency states indicates the regulatory flexibility of this network. Insights into the underlying principles of the pluripotency network may provide unprecedented opportunities for studying development and for regenerative medicine.

Ground rules of the pluripotency gene regulatory network.

KAUST Repository

Li, Mo; Belmonte, Juan Carlos Izpisua

2017-01-01

Pluripotency is a state that exists transiently in the early embryo and, remarkably, can be recapitulated in vitro by deriving embryonic stem cells or by reprogramming somatic cells to become induced pluripotent stem cells. The state of pluripotency, which is stabilized by an interconnected network of pluripotency-associated genes, integrates external signals and exerts control over the decision between self-renewal and differentiation at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and epigenetic levels. Recent evidence of alternative pluripotency states indicates the regulatory flexibility of this network. Insights into the underlying principles of the pluripotency network may provide unprecedented opportunities for studying development and for regenerative medicine.

A Wireless Sensor Network-Based Ubiquitous Paprika Growth Management System

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Hwang, Jeonghwan; Shin, Changsun; Yoe, Hyun

2010-01-01

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technology can facilitate advances in productivity, safety and human quality of life through its applications in various industries. In particular, the application of WSN technology to the agricultural area, which is labor-intensive compared to other industries, and in addition is typically lacking in IT technology applications, adds value and can increase the agricultural productivity. This study attempts to establish a ubiquitous agricultural environment and improve the productivity of farms that grow paprika by suggesting a ‘Ubiquitous Paprika Greenhouse Management System’ using WSN technology. The proposed system can collect and monitor information related to the growth environment of crops outside and inside paprika greenhouses by installing WSN sensors and monitoring images captured by CCTV cameras. In addition, the system provides a paprika greenhouse environment control facility for manual and automatic control from a distance, improves the convenience and productivity of users, and facilitates an optimized environment to grow paprika based on the growth environment data acquired by operating the system. PMID:22163543

Cross-cultural differences in somatic presentation in patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

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Hoge, Elizabeth A; Tamrakar, Sharad M; Christian, Kelly M; Mahara, Namrata; Nepal, Mahendra K; Pollack, Mark H; Simon, Naomi M

2006-12-01

Little is known about cultural differences in the expression of distress in anxiety disorders. Previous cross-cultural studies of depression have found a greater somatic focus in Asian populations. We examined anxiety symptoms in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in urban mental health settings in Nepal (N = 30) and in the United States (N = 23). Participants completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The overall BAI score and somatic and psychological subscales were compared. While there was no difference in total BAI scores, the Nepali group scored higher on the somatic subscale (i.e. "dizziness" and "indigestion," t[df] = -2.63[50], p < 0.05), while the American group scored higher on the psychological subscale (i.e. "scared" and "nervous," t[df] = 3.27[50], p < 0.01). Nepali patients with GAD had higher levels of somatic symptoms and lower levels of psychological symptoms than American patients with GAD. Possible explanations include differences in cultural traditions of describing distress and the mind-body dichotomy.

At the crossroads of fate - somatic cell lineage specification in the fetal gonad

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rotgers, Emmi; Jørgensen, Anne; Yao, Humphrey Hung-Chang

2018-01-01

The reproductive endocrine systems are vastly different between male and female. This sexual dimorphism of endocrine milieu originates from sex-specific differentiation of the somatic cells in the gonads during fetal life. The majority of gonadal somatic cells arise from the adrenogonadal...... of the reproductive tracts. Impairment of lineage specification and function of gonadal somatic cells can lead to disorders of sexual development (DSDs) in humans. Human DSDs and processes for gonadal development have been successfully modelled using genetically modified mouse models. In this review, we focus...

Effects of Response Styles on the Report of Psychological and Somatic Distress.

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Linden, Wolfgang; And Others

1986-01-01

Assessed the impact of two major response style dimensions (self-deception and impression management) on the report of psychological and somatic symptoms. Results confirmed that response styles were more predictive of psychological than somatic symptoms. Both anxiety and depression were associated with a high rate of physical symptoms,…

Dimensions of somatization and hypochondriasis.

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Ford, C V

1995-05-01

A significantly large group of patients who communicate their psychosocial distress in the form of physical symptoms are called somatizers. They tend to overuse medical services. The syndromes with which they present have indistinct boundaries, and there tends to be some fluidity of their symptomatic presentations. Underlying psychiatric disorders such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders (including obsessive compulsive disorder), and personality disorders are frequently present.

Growth pattern and growth dependent mortality of larval and pelagic juvenile North Sea cod Gadus morhua

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Rune; Munk, Peter

2004-01-01

and May 2001), and larval/juvenile growth history from each of the sampling sequences was outlined. Growth rate was estimated by fitting a Laird-Gompertz equation to lengths-at-age, and we found the mean specific growth rate in length at age 20 d was 3.2% d(-1), declining to 1.9% d(-1) at an age of 90 d....... Otolith radius and larval standard length were highly correlated, and otolith growth was used as a measure of larval somatic growth. The larvae were divided into 3 groups dependent on their hatch-date, and for each hatch group, the same period of past growth was compared between fish sampled in April...... and May. A 2-way repeated-measurement ANOVA revealed a significant higher past growth of fish sampled in May in 2 of the 3 hatch-groups, implying a higher mortality of the slow growing larvae. Additionally, otolith size at age differed significantly between the April and May sampling of the oldest larvae...

Induction and isolation of somatic mutations in vegetatively propagated plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donini, B.

1975-01-01

Research carried out since 1963 concentrated on techniques of mutagenic treatment: problems of exposure, type of radiation (acute irradiation by x- and γ-rays, and chronic exposure in the gamma field), conditions during and after irradiation, mechanisms of mutation induction, and methodology of isolation of somatic mutations. Analyses of somatic mutations included studies on apple, pear, olive, peach, grape and cherry plants. Young trees, dormant and rooted scions, summer and floral buds or seeds were used

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS ON ARABICA COFFEE (Coffea arabica

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Meynarti Sari Dewi Ibrahim

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Propagation of Coffea arabica L. through direct and indirect somatic embryogenesis technique is promising for producing large number of coffee seedlings. The objectives of the research were to evaluate methods for direct and indirect somatic embryo-genesis induction of C. arabica var. Kartika. The explants were the youngest fully expanded leaves of arabica coffee. The evalu-ated medium was modified Murashige and Skoog (MS medium supplemented with a combination of 2.26 µM 2,4-D + 4.54 or 9.08 µM thidiazuron; 4.52 µM 2,4-D + 4.54 or 9.08 µM thidiazuron; or 9.04 µM 2,4-D + 9.08 µM thidiazuron. Both calli (100 mg and pre-embryos developed from the edge of leaf explants were subcultured into regeneration medium (half strength MS with modified vitamin, supplemented with kinetine 9.30 µM and adenine sulfate 40 mg L-1. The results showed coffee leaf explant cultured on medium containing 2.26 µM 2,4-D + 4.54 or 9.08 µM thidiazuron to induce direct somatic embriogenesis from explant, while that of 4.52 or 9.04 µM 2,4-D + 9.08 µM thidiazuron to induced indirect somatic embrio-genesis. The medium for calli induction from coffee by explants was medium supplemented with 4.52 or 9.04 µM 2,4-D in combination with 9.08 µM thidiazuron. On the other hand, the best medium for activation of induction of somatic embryos was MS medium supplemented with 9.04 µM 2,4-D + 9.08 µM thidiazuron. Based on this results, the first step for developing micropropagation for coffee has been resolved. The subsequent studies will be directed to evaluate agronomic performance of the derived planting materials.

Statistical method on nonrandom clustering with application to somatic mutations in cancer

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Rejto Paul A

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human cancer is caused by the accumulation of tumor-specific mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressors that confer a selective growth advantage to cells. As a consequence of genomic instability and high levels of proliferation, many passenger mutations that do not contribute to the cancer phenotype arise alongside mutations that drive oncogenesis. While several approaches have been developed to separate driver mutations from passengers, few approaches can specifically identify activating driver mutations in oncogenes, which are more amenable for pharmacological intervention. Results We propose a new statistical method for detecting activating mutations in cancer by identifying nonrandom clusters of amino acid mutations in protein sequences. A probability model is derived using order statistics assuming that the location of amino acid mutations on a protein follows a uniform distribution. Our statistical measure is the differences between pair-wise order statistics, which is equivalent to the size of an amino acid mutation cluster, and the probabilities are derived from exact and approximate distributions of the statistical measure. Using data in the Catalog of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC database, we have demonstrated that our method detects well-known clusters of activating mutations in KRAS, BRAF, PI3K, and β-catenin. The method can also identify new cancer targets as well as gain-of-function mutations in tumor suppressors. Conclusions Our proposed method is useful to discover activating driver mutations in cancer by identifying nonrandom clusters of somatic amino acid mutations in protein sequences.

Remodeling of ribosomal genes in somatic cells by Xenopus egg extract

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Ostrup, Olga, E-mail: osvarcova@gmail.com [Institute of Basic Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Stem Cell Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo (Norway); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research, Oslo (Norway); Hyttel, Poul; Klaerke, Dan A. [Institute of Basic Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Collas, Philippe, E-mail: philc@medisin.uio.no [Stem Cell Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo (Norway); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research, Oslo (Norway)

2011-09-02

Highlights: {yields} Xenopus egg extract remodels nuclei and alter cell growth characteristics. {yields} Ribosomal genes are reprogrammed within 6 h after extract exposure. {yields} rDNA reprogramming involves promoter targeting of SNF2H remodeling complex. {yields} Xenopus egg extract does not initiate stress-related response in somatic cells. {yields} Aza-cytidine elicits a stress-induced response in reprogrammed cells. -- Abstract: Extracts from Xenopus eggs can reprogram gene expression in somatic nuclei, however little is known about the earliest processes associated with the switch in the transcriptional program. We show here that an early reprogramming event is the remodeling of ribosomal chromatin and gene expression. This occurs within hours of extract treatment and is distinct from a stress response. Egg extract elicits remodeling of the nuclear envelope, chromatin and nucleolus. Nucleolar remodeling involves a rapid and stable decrease in ribosomal gene transcription, and promoter targeting of the nucleolar remodeling complex component SNF2H without affecting occupancy of the transcription factor UBF and the stress silencers SUV39H1 and SIRT1. During this process, nucleolar localization of UBF and SIRT1 is not altered. On contrary, azacytidine pre-treatment has an adverse effect on rDNA remodeling induced by extract and elicits a stress-type nuclear response. Thus, an early event of Xenopus egg extract-mediated nuclear reprogramming is the remodeling of ribosomal genes involving nucleolar remodeling complex. Condition-specific and rapid silencing of ribosomal genes may serve as a sensitive marker for evaluation of various reprogramming methods.

Somatic Treatments in Treatment of Depression During Pregnancy

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Eylem Ozten

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Although some psychotropic drugs are known to be teratogenic no psychotropic drug is of proven safety for treatment of depression during pregnancy. Untreated mood disorders during pregnancy pose significant risks for mother and the newborn. This review focuses on the use of somatic tretments of depression during pregnancy.Electroconvulsive therapy, bright light therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation and vagal nerve stimulation are relatively safe and effective treatments during pregnancy if steps are taken to decrease potential risks. A clear information related to the somatic treatment should be given to the patient and informed consent should be obtained. [Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2015; 7(3.000: 244-254

The Association of Sensory Responsiveness with Somatic Symptoms and Illness Anxiety.

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Rodic, Donja; Meyer, Andrea Hans; Lieb, Roselind; Meinlschmidt, Gunther

2016-02-01

Somatoform Disorders or Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders are a major public health problem.The pathophysiology underlying these disorders is not yet understood. The aim of this study was to explore if sensory responsiveness could contribute to a better understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying two key symptoms of Somatoform Disorders, namely somatic symptoms and illness anxiety. We measured vibrotactile perception thresholds with the HVLab Perception Meter and examined their association with somatic symptoms, illness anxiety and trait anxiety. A sample of 205 volunteers participated in the study. Sensory responsiveness was neither associated with somatic symptoms (β = -0.01; 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.37, 0.39) nor trait anxiety (β = -0.07; 95% CI, -0.30, 0.07). However, lower vibrotactile perception thresholds were associated with increased scores of the overall illness anxiety scale (β = -0.65; 95% CI, -1.21, -0.14) and its constituent subscale disease conviction (β = -2.07; 95% CI, -3.94, -0.43). Our results suggest that increased sensory responsiveness is associated with illness anxiety and hence should be examined further as potential target within the etiopathology of somatoform disorders.

Somatic Complaints in Adolescence and Labour Market Participation in Young Adulthood.

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Winding, Trine Nøhr; Andersen, Johan Hviid

2018-05-01

The primary aim was to investigate the association between somatic symptoms at ages 15 or 18 and reduced labour market participation at age 23, when socioeconomic, social, and mental health risk factors were taken into account. The study included 3223 participants from the West Jutland Cohort Study with questionnaire information on somatic symptoms at ages 15 or 18 and with register information on labour market participation at age 23, gathered from a national register on all public transfer benefits for a 52-week period. The analyses included additional information about socioeconomic background, number of negative life events, social climate in the family, social relations with friends, and depressive symptoms. Logistic regression analyses yielded odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Among the males, associations between reporting somatic symptoms at age 18 and low labour market participation was seen in both crude and adjusted analyses (odds ratio: 1.66; 95% confidence intervals: 1.01-2.75), whereas the association among the females disappeared after adjustments (odds ratio: 0.97; 95% confidence intervals: 0.63-1.52). The males that reported somatic symptoms in late adolescence appeared to be the most vulnerable to future reduced labour market participation.

The role of post-migration living difficulties on somatization among first-generation immigrants visited in a primary care service

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Massimiliano Aragona

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The role of post-migration living difficulties (PMLD on somatization was studied in 101 first generation immigrants visited in primary care. Premigratory traumas and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD were also assessed. About one third of patients somatized. Sociodemographic variables were similar in somatizers and non-somatizers. Premigratory traumas, PTSD and the likelihood to report at least one serious or very serious PMLD were higher in somatizers. Four kinds of PMLD were more frequent in somatizers: worries about unavailability of health assistance, working problems, discrimination and poor social help. Traumas and PTSD influenced the effect of PMLD on somatization. Findings suggest that in specific samples of primary care immigrants severe premigratory traumas increase the sensitivity to PMLD and in turn distress due to PMLD amplifies the tendency to somatize.

[Structure of childhood and adolescent invalidity in persons with chronic somatic diseases].

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Korenev, N M; Bogmat, L F; Tolmacheva, S R; Timofeeva, O N

2002-01-01

Based on the analysis of statistical data, prevalence is estimated of disorders with invalidism patterns outlined among those children and young adults under 40 years of age presenting with chronic somatic disorders in Kharkov. Both in children (52.4%) and in young adults (43.9%) diseases of the nervous system held the prominent place. Invalidity due to formed somatic disorders was identified in 10.9% of children and 24.3% of those persons less than 40 years old. There prevailed diseases of the circulation organs. The necessity is substantiated for the rehabilitation to be carried out of children with somatic disorders to prevent their disability.

Somatic Experiencing Treatment with Social Service Workers Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Science.gov (United States)

Leitch, M. Laurie; Vanslyke, Jan; Allen, Marisa

2009-01-01

In a disaster, social service workers are often survivors themselves. This study examines whether somatic intervention using a brief (one to two session) stabilization model now called the Trauma Resiliency Model[TM] (TRM), which uses the skills of Somatic Experiencing[R] (SE), can reduce the postdisaster symptoms of social service workers…

Application of artificial neural network with extreme learning machine for economic growth estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Milačić, Ljubiša; Jović, Srđan; Vujović, Tanja; Miljković, Jovica

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research is to develop and apply the artificial neural network (ANN) with extreme learning machine (ELM) to forecast gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate. The economic growth forecasting was analyzed based on agriculture, manufacturing, industry and services value added in GDP. The results were compared with ANN with back propagation (BP) learning approach since BP could be considered as conventional learning methodology. The reliability of the computational models was accessed based on simulation results and using several statistical indicators. Based on results, it was shown that ANN with ELM learning methodology can be applied effectively in applications of GDP forecasting.

Reprogramming to pluripotency can conceal somatic cell chromosomal instability.

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Masakazu Hamada

Full Text Available The discovery that somatic cells are reprogrammable to pluripotency by ectopic expression of a small subset of transcription factors has created great potential for the development of broadly applicable stem-cell-based therapies. One of the concerns regarding the safe use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs in therapeutic applications is loss of genomic integrity, a hallmark of various human conditions and diseases, including cancer. Structural chromosome defects such as short telomeres and double-strand breaks are known to limit reprogramming of somatic cells into iPSCs, but whether defects that cause whole-chromosome instability (W-CIN preclude reprogramming is unknown. Here we demonstrate, using aneuploidy-prone mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs in which chromosome missegregation is driven by BubR1 or RanBP2 insufficiency, that W-CIN is not a barrier to reprogramming. Unexpectedly, the two W-CIN defects had contrasting effects on iPSC genomic integrity, with BubR1 hypomorphic MEFs almost exclusively yielding aneuploid iPSC clones and RanBP2 hypomorphic MEFs karyotypically normal iPSC clones. Moreover, BubR1-insufficient iPSC clones were karyotypically unstable, whereas RanBP2-insufficient iPSC clones were rather stable. These findings suggest that aneuploid cells can be selected for or against during reprogramming depending on the W-CIN gene defect and present the novel concept that somatic cell W-CIN can be concealed in the pluripotent state. Thus, karyotypic analysis of somatic cells of origin in addition to iPSC lines is necessary for safe application of reprogramming technology.

Effect of Cryopreservation and Post-Cryopreservation Somatic Embryogenesis on the Epigenetic Fidelity of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.).

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Adu-Gyamfi, Raphael; Wetten, Andy; Marcelino Rodríguez López, Carlos

2016-01-01

While cocoa plants regenerated from cryopreserved somatic embryos can demonstrate high levels of phenotypic variability, little is known about the sources of the observed variability. Previous studies have shown that the encapsulation-dehydration cryopreservation methodology imposes no significant extra mutational load since embryos carrying high levels of genetic variability are selected against during protracted culture. Also, the use of secondary rather than primary somatic embryos has been shown to further reduce the incidence of genetic somaclonal variation. Here, the effect of in vitro conservation, cryopreservation and post-cryopreservation generation of somatic embryos on the appearance of epigenetic somaclonal variation were comparatively assessed. To achieve this we compared the epigenetic profiles, generated using Methylation Sensitive Amplified Polymorphisms, of leaves collected from the ortet tree and from cocoa somatic embryos derived from three in vitro conditions: somatic embryos, somatic embryos cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen and somatic embryos generated from cryoproserved somatic embryos. Somatic embryos accumulated epigenetic changes but these were less extensive than in those regenerated after storage in LN. Furthermore, the passage of cryopreserved embryos through another embryogenic stage led to further increase in variation. Interestingly, this detected variability appears to be in some measure reversible. The outcome of this study indicates that the cryopreservation induced phenotypic variability could be, at least partially, due to DNA methylation changes. Phenotypic variability observed in cryostored cocoa somatic-embryos is epigenetic in nature. This variability is partially reversible, not stochastic in nature but a directed response to the in-vitro culture and cryopreservation.

Boron-Mediated Plant Somatic Embryogenesis: A Provocative Model

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Dhananjay K. Pandey

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A central question in plant regeneration biology concerns the primary driving forces invoking the acquisition of somatic embryogenesis. Recently, the role of micronutrient boron (B in the initiation and perpetuation of embryogenesis has drawn considerable attention within the scientific community. This interest may be due in part to the bewildering observation that the system-wide induction of embryogenic potential significantly varied in response to a minimal to optimal supply of B (minimal ≤ 0.1 mM, optimal = 0.1 mM. At the cellular level, certain channel proteins and cell wall-related proteins important for the induction of embryogenesis have been shown to be transcriptionally upregulated in response to minimal B supply suggesting the vital role of B in the induction of embryogenesis. At the molecular level, minimal to no B supply increased the endogenous level of auxin, which subsequently influenced the auxin-inducible somatic embryogenesis receptor kinases, suggesting the role of B in the induction of embryogenesis. Also, minimal B concentration may “turn on” other genetic and/or cellular transfactors reported earlier to be essential for cell-restructuring and induction of embryogenesis. In this paper, both the direct and indirect roles of B in the induction of somatic embryogenesis are highlighted and suggested for future validation.

Trauma exposure and the mediating role of posttraumatic stress on somatic symptoms in civilian war victims.

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Morina, Naser; Schnyder, Ulrich; Klaghofer, Richard; Müller, Julia; Martin-Soelch, Chantal

2018-04-10

It has been well documented that the exposure to war has a negative effect on the psychological health of civilian. However, little is known on the impact of war exposure on the physical health of the civilian population. In addition, the link between trauma exposure and somatic symptoms remain poorly understood. This cross-sectional study examined levels of somatic symptoms in the aftermath of war, and the mediating role of posttraumatic stress symptoms in the relationship between trauma exposure and somatic symptoms. Civilian war survivors (N = 142) from Kosovo were assessed for potentially traumatic events, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and somatic symptoms. Data were analyzed using mediation analyses. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were categorized based on King's four factor model (Psychol Assessment. 10: 90-96, 1998). Participants reported on average more than 5 types of traumatic exposure. The cut-off indicative for PTSD was exceeded by 26.1% of participants. Symptom levels of PTSD were associated with somatic symptoms. The relationship between trauma exposure and somatic symptoms was partly mediated by the active avoidance and hyperarousal symptom clusters of PTSD. Active avoidance and hyperarousal symptoms seem to play a key role in traumatized people suffering from somatic symptoms.

PECTIMORF and BIOBRAS-16 utilization in the potato somatic embryogenesis

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Jaime R. Hidrobo Luna

2002-01-01

Full Text Available With the application of PECTIMORF and BIOBRAS-16, somatic embryos were obtained in potato (Solanum tuberosum, L c.v. Desirèe, of 40 days old callus obtained from stem micropropagated plants. These were used as possible substitutes for crop regulators used in culture media for the induction of somatic embryos. The culture media was composed for 10ml.l-1 of Murashige and Skoog salt, 0.1mg.l-1 ANA, 0.1mg.l-1 kinetin, 0.5mg.l-1 thiamine, 2.5mg.l-1 cistein, 100mg.l-1 mioinositol, 20g.l-1 sucrose and 2.0g.l-1 agar. Four culture medias were tested in distinct combinations that contained different concentration of PECTIMOR and BIOBRAS-16 as substitute of auxins and cytokinins. After 90 days, the results obtained showed the possibility of substituting the auxins (0.5mg.l-1 ANA and the cytokinins (0.5mg.l-1 kinetin in the culture media, because the application of PECTIMORF at 3.2mg.l-1 and BIOBRAS-16 at 1.0mg.l-1, gave friable callus, high fresh weight (more than 1.4g and a brownish color at the end of the process, moment in which the somatic embryos of different phases, appeared at the surface of the callus. Keywords: brasinoesteroids, callus, oligopectate, somatic embryo

Somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning: practical applications and current legislation.

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Niemann, H; Lucas-Hahn, A

2012-08-01

Somatic cloning is emerging as a new biotechnology by which the opportunities arising from the advances in molecular genetics and genome analysis can be implemented in animal breeding. Significant improvements have been made in SCNT protocols in the past years which now allow to embarking on practical applications. The main areas of application of SCNT are: Reproductive cloning, therapeutic cloning and basic research. A great application potential of SCNT based cloning is the production of genetically modified (transgenic) animals. Somatic cell nuclear transfer based transgenic animal production has significant advances over the previously employed microinjection of foreign DNA into pronuclei of zygotes. This cell based transgenesis is compatible with gene targeting and allows both, the addition of a specific gene and the deletion of an endogenous gene. Efficient transgenic animal production provides numerous opportunities for agriculture and biomedicine. Regulatory agencies around the world have agreed that food derived from cloned animals and their offspring is safe and there is no scientific basis for questioning this. Commercial application of somatic cloning within the EU is via the Novel Food regulation EC No. 258/97. Somatic cloning raises novel questions regarding the ethical and moral status of animals and their welfare which has prompted a controversial discussion in Europe which has not yet been resolved. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Somatic diseases in patients with schizophrenia in general practice: their prevalence and health care.

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Oud, Marian J T; Meyboom-de Jong, Betty

2009-05-09

Schizophrenia patients frequently develop somatic co-morbidity. Core tasks for GPs are the prevention and diagnosis of somatic diseases and the provision of care for patients with chronic diseases. Schizophrenia patients experience difficulties in recognizing and coping with their physical problems; however GPs have neither specific management policies nor guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of somatic co-morbidity in schizophrenia patients. This paper systematically reviews the prevalence and treatment of somatic co-morbidity in schizophrenia patients in general practice. The MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO data-bases and the Cochrane Library were searched and original research articles on somatic diseases of schizophrenia patients and their treatment in the primary care setting were selected. The results of this search show that the incidence of a wide range of diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, the metabolic syndrome, coronary heart diseases, and COPD is significantly higher in schizophrenia patients than in the normal population. The health of schizophrenic patients is less than optimal in several areas, partly due to their inadequate help-seeking behaviour. Current GP management of such patients appears not to take this fact into account. However, when schizophrenic patients seek the GP's help, they value the care provided. Schizophrenia patients are at risk of undetected somatic co-morbidity. They present physical complaints at a late, more serious stage. GPs should take this into account by adopting proactive behaviour. The development of a set of guidelines with a clear description of the GP's responsibilities would facilitate the desired changes in the management of somatic diseases in these patients.

Cell-of-Origin-Specific 3D Genome Structure Acquired during Somatic Cell Reprogramming

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krijger, Peter Hugo Lodewijk; Di Stefano, Bruno; de Wit, Elzo; Limone, Francesco; van Oevelen, Chris; de Laat, Wouter; Graf, Thomas

2016-01-01

Forced expression of reprogramming factors can convert somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Here we studied genome topology dynamics during reprogramming of different somatic cell types with highly distinct genome conformations. We find large-scale topologically associated

Temporal, spatial, and body size effects on growth rates of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Northwest Atlantic

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Bjorndal, Karen A.; Schroeder, Barbara A.; Foley, Allen M.; Witherington, Blair E.; Bresette, Michael; Clark, David; Herren, Richard M.; Arendt, Michael D.; Schmid, Jeffrey R.; Meylan, Anne B.; Meylan, Peter A.; Provancha, Jane A.; Hart, Kristen M.; Lamont, Margaret M.; Carthy, Raymond R.; Bolten, Alan B.

2013-01-01

In response to a call from the US National Research Council for research programs to combine their data to improve sea turtle population assessments, we analyzed somatic growth data for Northwest Atlantic (NWA) loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from 10 research programs. We assessed growth dynamics over wide ranges of geography (9–33°N latitude), time (1978–2012), and body size (35.4–103.3 cm carapace length). Generalized additive models revealed significant spatial and temporal variation in growth rates and a significant decline in growth rates with increasing body size. Growth was more rapid in waters south of the USA (productivity to a common environmental change should be explored to determine whether somatic growth rates can help interpret population trends based on annual counts of nests or nesting females. Because of the significant spatial and temporal variation in growth rates, population models of NWA loggerheads should avoid employing growth data from restricted spatial or temporal coverage to calculate demographic metrics such as age at sexual maturity.

Migrants' utilization of somatic healthcare services in Europe - a systematic review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørredam, Marie Louise; Nielsen, Signe Smith; Krasnik, Allan

2010-01-01

on the abstracts. Additional searches were conducted via the references of the selected articles. The final number of studies included was 21. Results: The results suggested a diverging picture regarding utilization of somatic healthcare services by migrants compared to non-migrants in Europe. Overall, migrants......Background: Utilization of services is an important aspect of migrants' access to healthcare. The aim was to review the European literature on utilization of somatic healthcare services related to screening, general practitioner, specialist, emergency room and hospital by adult first......-generation migrants. Our study question was: ‘Are there differences in migrants' utilization of somatic healthcare services compared to non-migrants?' Methods: Publications were identified by a systematic search of PUBMED and EMBASE. Appropriateness of the studies was judged independently by two researchers based...

Molecular beam epitaxial growth of graphene and ridge-structure networks of graphene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeda, Fumihiko; Hibino, Hiroki

2011-01-01

By gas-source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using cracked ethanol, we grew graphene at substrate temperatures between 600 and 915 °C on graphene formed on SiC(0 0 0 1) by thermal decomposition. To investigate the substrate temperature dependence of graphene growth we analysed the MBE-grown graphene by Raman spectroscopy and in situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and observed it by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Analyses using the G-band peak and the peak intensity ratio between D- and G-band peaks in the Raman spectra revealed that growth at higher temperatures improved the crystallinity and increased the domain size. Although the growth rate decreased at higher temperatures, as revealed by XPS, these results indicated that growth at a higher temperature is effective in obtaining graphene of higher quality. Furthermore, the AFM and TEM observations revealed a network of fin-like ridge structures of graphene sticking out from the surface. The presence of these 'graphene nanofins' indicated that two-dimensional islands of graphene are surrounded by the nanofins, and the island size was estimated to be 67 nm using the average distance between the nanofins.

Depression, disability and somatic diseases among elderly

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhaak, P.F.M.; Dekker, Janny; De Waal, M.W.M.; Van Marwijk, H.W.J.; Comijs, H.C.

2014-01-01

Objective: Depression among older adults is associated with both disability and somatic disease. We aimed to further understand this complicated relationship and to study the possible modifying effect of increasing age. Design: Cross sectional survey. Setting: Outpatient and inpatient clinics of

Somatic cancer variant curation and harmonization through consensus minimum variant level data

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Deborah I. Ritter

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To truly achieve personalized medicine in oncology, it is critical to catalog and curate cancer sequence variants for their clinical relevance. The Somatic Working Group (WG of the Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen, in cooperation with ClinVar and multiple cancer variant curation stakeholders, has developed a consensus set of minimal variant level data (MVLD. MVLD is a framework of standardized data elements to curate cancer variants for clinical utility. With implementation of MVLD standards, and in a working partnership with ClinVar, we aim to streamline the somatic variant curation efforts in the community and reduce redundancy and time burden for the interpretation of cancer variants in clinical practice. Methods We developed MVLD through a consensus approach by i reviewing clinical actionability interpretations from institutions participating in the WG, ii conducting extensive literature search of clinical somatic interpretation schemas, and iii survey of cancer variant web portals. A forthcoming guideline on cancer variant interpretation, from the Association of Molecular Pathology (AMP, can be incorporated into MVLD. Results Along with harmonizing standardized terminology for allele interpretive and descriptive fields that are collected by many databases, the MVLD includes unique fields for cancer variants such as Biomarker Class, Therapeutic Context and Effect. In addition, MVLD includes recommendations for controlled semantics and ontologies. The Somatic WG is collaborating with ClinVar to evaluate MVLD use for somatic variant submissions. ClinVar is an open and centralized repository where sequencing laboratories can report summary-level variant data with clinical significance, and ClinVar accepts cancer variant data. Conclusions We expect the use of the MVLD to streamline clinical interpretation of cancer variants, enhance interoperability among multiple redundant curation efforts, and increase submission of

Nucleation and growth of C60 overlayers on the Ag/Pt(111) dislocation network surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ait-Mansour, K; Ruffieux, P; Xiao, W; Fasel, R; Groening, P; Groening, O

2007-01-01

We have investigated the room temperature growth of C 60 overlayers on the strainrelief dislocation network formed by two monolayers of Ag on Pt(111) by means of scanning tunneling microscopy. Extended domains of highly ordered dislocation networks with a typical superlattice parameter of 6.8 nm have been prepared, serving as templates for subsequent C 60 depositions. For low C 60 coverages, the molecules decorate the step-edges, where also the first islands nucleate. This indicates that at room temperature the C 60 molecules are sufficiently mobile to cross the dislocation lines and to diffuse to the step-edges. For C 60 coverages of 0.4 monolayer, besides the islands nucleated at the step-edges, C 60 islands also grow in the middle of terraces. The C 60 islands typically extend over several unit cells of the dislocation network and show an unusual orientation of the hexagonally close-packed C 60 lattice as compared to that found on the bare Ag(111) surface. Whereas C 60 grows preferentially in a (2 √3 x 2 √3) R30 0 structure on Ag(111), on the Ag/Pt(111) dislocation network the C 60 lattice adopts an orientation rotated by 30 0 , with the close-packed C 60 rows aligned along the dislocations which themselves are aligned along the Ag(1-10) directions. For higher coverages in the range of 1-2 monolayers, the growth of C 60 continues in a layer-by-layer fashion

The effects of Ostertagia occidentalis somatic antigens on ovine TLR2 and TLR4 expression

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Hassan BORJI

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Recognition of helminth-derived pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs, including toll like recep­tors (TLRs is the first step towards initiating anti–helminth immune re­sponses.Methods: Using somatic antigens of Ostertagia occidentalis, an important abomasal parasite of ruminants, the expression of ovine TLR2 and TLR4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs was analyzed by real-time quatitative reverse-transcrip­tion polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR. Somatic antigens of O. occidentalis were prepared to stimulate ovine PBMCs in a time and dose dependent manner.Results: A high expression of TLR2 and TLR4 was observed in PBMCs cultured with somatic antigens of the parasites specially when PBMCs were cultured with 100 µg/ml of somatic antigens and incubated for 2h. Up-regulation of TLR2 expres­sion was more pronounced and evident in our study.Conclsusion: Somatic antigens of O. occidentalis have immunostimulatory and domi­nant role on peripheral immune cells. This study provide for the first time evidence of induction of TLRs in ovine PBMCs by somatic antigen of O. occidentalis

Gamma ray induced somatic mutations in rose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Datta, S.K.

1989-01-01

Budwood of 32 rose cultivars (Rosa spp.) was exposed to 3-4 krad of gamma rays and eyes were grafted on Rosa indica var. odorata root stock. Radiosensitivity with respect to sprouting, survival and plant height, and mutation frequency varied with the cultivar and dose of gamma rays. Somatic mutations in flower colour/shape were detected as chimera in 21 cultivars. The size of the mutant sector varied from a narrow streak on a petal to a whole flower and from a portion of a branch to an entire branch. 14 mutants were detected in M 1 V 1 , four in M 1 V 2 and three in M 1 V 3 . Maximum number of mutations was detected following 3 krad treatment. Eyes from mutant branches were grafted again on root stock and non-chimeric mutants were aimed at by vegetative propagation. Mutants from 11 cultivars only could be isolated in pure form. Isolation of non-chimeric mutants sometimes is difficult due to weak growth of a mutant branch. In such a case, all normal looking branches are removed to force a better growth of the mutant branch. It is advisable to maintain irradiated plants at least for four years with drastic pruning in each year. Nine mutants viz. 'Sharada', 'Sukumari', 'Tangerine Contempo', 'Yellow Contempo', 'Pink Contempo', 'Striped Contempo', 'Twinkle', 'Curio' and 'Light Pink Prize' have already been released as new cultivars for commercialization [ref. MBNL No. 23 and 31] and others are being multiplied and assessed. The mutation spectrum appears to be wider for the cultivars 'Contempo' and 'Imperator'. Pigment composition of the original variety is relevant for the kind of flower colour mutations that can be induced

Somatic and genetic radiation exposure of the patient in digital subtraction angiography (DSA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neufang, K.F.R.; Ewen, K.

1986-01-01

The somatic and genetic radiation exposure of patients undergoing Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) and traditional Film Arteriography (FA) of cranial, cervical, thoracic and abdominal vascular territories are compared. The radiation doses absorbed within the critical organs - red bone marrow, lung, thyroid gland and female breast - and in the gonads were measured using an anthropomorphic Alderson phantom. A Somatic Dose Index was calculated in order to estimate the somatic radiation risk. The somatic radiation exposure depends upon the location of the critical organs with respect to the entrance site of the x-ray beam, and can be reduced by an appropriate choice of the angiographic projection. Under this condition, the radiation exposure of the patient during DSA can be lower than during FA. For renal DSA an a.p. projection, the use of an abdominal compression device and careful caudal shielding of the field are advocated. (orig.)

Somatic mutations in leafs of tobacco seedlings induced by ionizing radiation and pesticide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, H. S.; Kim, J. K.; Song, H. S.; Lee, Y. I.

2001-01-01

Somatic mutations induced by the combined treatment of pesticide and ionizing radiation were analyzed in the leaves of tobacco seedlings. The pesticide (1,5 and 10 ppm of parathion) was sprayed directly onto the seedlings. The seedlings, with or without pretreatment of pesticide, were irradiated with 0.1 ∼10 Gy of gamma ray. The difference in the somatic mutation frequencies were not significant among groups treated with different concentration of pesticide. The somatic mutations in tobacco seedlings irradiated with gamma-ray showed a clear dose-response relationship in a range of 0.1 to 10 Gy. However, the combined treatment of pesticide and radiation did not cause any synergistic enhancement in the mutation frequencies. The highest efficiency in the induction of somatic mutations could be obtained by irradiating the seedlings with 5 Gy, 12 hours after 1 ppm of pesticide treatment, or 24 hours after 5 ppm of pesticide treatment

Cancer treatment in childhood and testicular function: the importance of the somatic environment

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Stukenborg, Jan-Bernd; Jahnukainen, Kirsi; Hutka, Marsida

2018-01-01

Testicular function and future fertility may be affected by cancer treatment during childhood. Whilst survival of the germ (stem) cells is critical for ensuring the potential for fertility in these patients, the somatic cell populations also play a crucial role in providing a suitable environment to support germ cell maintenance and subsequent development. Regulation of the spermatogonial germ-stem cell niche involves many signalling pathways with hormonal influence from the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. In this review, we describe the somatic cell populations that comprise the testicular germ-stem cell niche in humans and how they may be affected by cancer treatment during childhood. We also discuss the experimental models that may be utilized to manipulate the somatic environment and report the results of studies that investigate the potential role of somatic cells in the protection of the germ cells in the testis from cancer treatment. PMID:29351905

Somatic Embryogenesis in Yam (Dioscorea rotundata

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Isidro Elías Suárez Padrón

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Embryogenic yam (Dioscorea rotundata cultures were induced from petioles of leaves of in vitro grown plants on medium supplemented with different 2.4-D concentrations. Cultures were maintained either on semisolid or in liquid MS medium supplemented with 4.52 µM 2.4-D. The effect of sucrose concentration on somatic embryo development was also evaluated and the effects of different BAP concentrations on somatic embryo conversion were determined. Treatments were distributed using a complete randomized design. The highest rate of induction occurred with 4.52 µM 2.4-D. Sucrose at 131.46 mM significantly enhanced somatic embryo development. The conversion rate was not affected by BAP.Cultivos embriogénicos de ñame (Dioscorea rotundata fueron inducidos a partir de explantes consistentes de hojas con peciolos, aisladas de plantas establecidas en condiciones in vitro, en presencia de diferentes concentraciones de 2,4-D. Los cultivos inducidos fueron mantenidos en medio MS líquido o semisólido suplido con 4,52 µM 2,4-D. El efecto de las concentraciones de sacarosa sobre el desarrollo de embriones somáticos y el efecto de varias concentraciones de BAP sobre la tasa de conversión de embriones somáticos en plantas también fueron evaluados. Todos los tratamientos fueron distribuidos usando un diseño completamente al azar. El mayor porcentaje de inducción de tejidos embriogénicos ocurrió con 4,52 µM de 2,4-D. La adición de 131,46 mM de sacarosa incrementó significativamente el desarrollo de embriones somáticos. La tasa de conversión de embriones somáticos en plantas no fue afectada por las concentraciones de BAP.

The Association of Sensory Responsiveness with Somatic Symptoms and Illness Anxiety.

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Rodic Donja; Meyer Andrea Hans; Lieb Roselind; Meinlschmidt Gunther

2015-01-01

Somatoform Disorders or Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders are a major public health problem.The pathophysiology underlying these disorders is not yet understood. The aim of this study was to explore if sensory responsiveness could contribute to a better understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying two key symptoms of Somatoform Disorders namely somatic symptoms and illness anxiety. We measured vibrotactile perception thresholds with the HVLab Perception Meter and examined the...

Annotation of differentially expressed genes in the somatic embryogenesis of musa and their location in the banana genome.

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Maldonado-Borges, Josefina Ines; Ku-Cauich, José Roberto; Escobedo-Graciamedrano, Rosa Maria

2013-01-01

Analysis of cDNA-AFLP was used to study the genes expressed in zygotic and somatic embryogenesis of Musa acuminata Colla ssp. malaccensis, and a comparison was made between their differential transcribed fragments (TDFs) and the sequenced genome of the double haploid- (DH-) Pahang of the malaccensis subspecies that is available in the network. A total of 253 transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) were detected with apparent size of 100-4000 bp using 5 pairs of AFLP primers, of which 21 were differentially expressed during the different stages of banana embryogenesis; 15 of the sequences have matched DH-Pahang chromosomes, with 7 of them being homologous to gene sequences encoding either known or putative protein domains of higher plants. Four TDF sequences were located in all Musa chromosomes, while the rest were located in one or two chromosomes. Their putative individual function is briefly reviewed based on published information, and the potential roles of these genes in embryo development are discussed. Thus the availability of the genome of Musa and the information of TDFs sequences presented here opens new possibilities for an in-depth study of the molecular and biochemical research of zygotic and somatic embryogenesis of Musa.

The role of growth retardation in lasting effects of neonatal dexamethasone treatment on hippocampal synaptic function.

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Yu-Chen Wang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Dexamethasone (DEX, a synthetic glucocorticoid, is commonly used to prevent or lessen the morbidity of chronic lung disease in preterm infants. However, evidence is now increasing that this clinical practice negatively affects somatic growth and may result in long-lasting neurodevelopmental deficits. We therefore hypothesized that supporting normal somatic growth may overcome the lasting adverse effects of neonatal DEX treatment on hippocampal function. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To test this hypothesis, we developed a rat model using a schedule of tapering doses of DEX similar to that used in premature infants and examined whether the lasting influence of neonatal DEX treatment on hippocampal synaptic plasticity and memory performance are correlated with the deficits in somatic growth. We confirmed that neonatal DEX treatment switched the direction of synaptic plasticity in hippocampal CA1 region, favoring low-frequency stimulation- and group I metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist (S-3,5,-dihydroxyphenylglycine-induced long-term depression (LTD, and opposing the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP by high-frequency stimulation in the adolescent period. The effects of DEX on LTP and LTD were correlated with an increase in the autophosphorylation of Ca(2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II at threonine-286 and a decrease in the protein phosphatase 1 expression. Neonatal DEX treatment resulted in a disruption of memory retention subjected to object recognition task and passive avoidance learning. The adverse effects of neonatal DEX treatment on hippocampal synaptic plasticity and memory performance of the animals from litters culled to 4 pups were significantly less than those for the 8-pup litters. However, there was no significant difference in maternal care between groups. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results demonstrate that growth retardation plays a crucial role in DEX-induced long-lasting influence of

Extracellular matrix of dental pulp stem cells: Applications in pulp tissue engineering using somatic MSCs

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Sriram eRavindran

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Dental Caries affects approximately 90% of the world’s population. At present, the clinical treatment for dental caries is root canal therapy. This treatment results in loss of tooth sensitivity and vitality. Tissue engineering can potentially solve this problem by enabling regeneration of a functional pulp tissue. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs have been shown to be an excellent source for pulp regeneration. However, limited availability of these cells hinders its potential for clinical translation. We have investigated the possibility of using somatic mesenchymal stem cells from other sources for dental pulp tissue regeneration using a biomimetic dental pulp extracellular matrix (ECM incorporated scaffold. Human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs and human bone marrow stromal cells (HMSCs were investigated for their ability to differentiate towards an odontogenic lineage. In vitro real-time PCR results coupled with histological and immunohistochemical examination of the explanted tissues confirmed the ability of PDLSCs and HMSCs to form a vascularized pulp-like tissue. These findings indicate that the dental pulp stem derived ECM scaffold stimulated odontogenic differentiation of PDLSCs and HMSCs without the need for exogenous addition of growth and differentiation factors. This study represents a translational perspective toward possible therapeutic application of using a combination of somatic stem cells and extracellular matrix for pulp regeneration.

Targeted disruption of Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene in miniature pigs by somatic cell nuclear transfer

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Kim, Young June; Ahn, Kwang Sung; Kim, Minjeong; Kim, Min Ju; Park, Sang-Min; Ryu, Junghyun; Ahn, Jin Seop; Heo, Soon Young; Kang, Jee Hyun; Choi, You Jung [Department of Nanobiomedical Science and BK21 PLUS NBM Global Research Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Seong-Jun [Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Shim, Hosup, E-mail: shim@dku.edu [Department of Nanobiomedical Science and BK21 PLUS NBM Global Research Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Department of Physiology, Dankook University School of Medicine, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-03

Highlights: • ATM gene-targeted pigs were produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer. • A novel large animal model for ataxia telangiectasia was developed. • The new model may provide an alternative to the mouse model. - Abstract: Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a recessive autosomal disorder associated with pleiotropic phenotypes, including progressive cerebellar degeneration, gonad atrophy, and growth retardation. Even though A-T is known to be caused by the mutations in the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene, the correlation between abnormal cellular physiology caused by ATM mutations and the multiple symptoms of A-T disease has not been clearly determined. None of the existing ATM mouse models properly reflects the extent to which neurological degeneration occurs in human. In an attempt to provide a large animal model for A-T, we produced gene-targeted pigs with mutations in the ATM gene by somatic cell nuclear transfer. The disrupted allele in the ATM gene of cloned piglets was confirmed via PCR and Southern blot analysis. The ATM gene-targeted pigs generated in the present study may provide an alternative to the current mouse model for the study of mechanisms underlying A-T disorder and for the development of new therapies.

Targeted disruption of Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene in miniature pigs by somatic cell nuclear transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young June; Ahn, Kwang Sung; Kim, Minjeong; Kim, Min Ju; Park, Sang-Min; Ryu, Junghyun; Ahn, Jin Seop; Heo, Soon Young; Kang, Jee Hyun; Choi, You Jung; Choi, Seong-Jun; Shim, Hosup

2014-01-01

Highlights: • ATM gene-targeted pigs were produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer. • A novel large animal model for ataxia telangiectasia was developed. • The new model may provide an alternative to the mouse model. - Abstract: Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a recessive autosomal disorder associated with pleiotropic phenotypes, including progressive cerebellar degeneration, gonad atrophy, and growth retardation. Even though A-T is known to be caused by the mutations in the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene, the correlation between abnormal cellular physiology caused by ATM mutations and the multiple symptoms of A-T disease has not been clearly determined. None of the existing ATM mouse models properly reflects the extent to which neurological degeneration occurs in human. In an attempt to provide a large animal model for A-T, we produced gene-targeted pigs with mutations in the ATM gene by somatic cell nuclear transfer. The disrupted allele in the ATM gene of cloned piglets was confirmed via PCR and Southern blot analysis. The ATM gene-targeted pigs generated in the present study may provide an alternative to the current mouse model for the study of mechanisms underlying A-T disorder and for the development of new therapies

A Biostereometric Approach To The Study Of Infants' And Children's Body Growth

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Coblentz, A.; Ignazi, G.

1980-07-01

Studies on the somatic growth of young children have traditionally been made using conventional anthropometry techniques. As a result, while the conditions of growth of morphological variables such as weight or segmental dimensions are well known, the same cannot be said of the more global aspect of the development of the body in a three-dimensional reference space. Yet body volumes and surfaces represent morphological characteristics which are just as necessary for a good understanding of physiological phenomena (thermoregulation, energy balance, etc.) as the conventional linear data. In the volume of their research on children's growth in recent years, the authors have found that in none of the studies mentioned in the literature was consideration given to the dynamic aspect of the child's somatic development in a three-dimensional space. A primary reason for such omission is largely to be found in the technical difficulties encountered in the measure-ment of somatic characteristics such as body volume and surface. Yet, among the several possible methods of study, biostereometry and particularly the photogrammetric tool, is certainly one of the most rewarding. This being so, the authors propose to use the photogrammetric technique to undertake, in a first stage, a methodological study that will draw up, on a limited sample of infants and young children, the development chart, over a period of time, of the surfaces and volumes of segmental elements. Thus will be checked the relationships between the growth rates of different characteristics : surfaces, volumes, weight, linear dimensions. Quite apart from the intrinsic value of such studies, the data thus collected will eventually provide practitioners, pediatricians and physiologists with the reference records that have so far been lacking.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Individuals Undergoing Sex-Reassignment Surgery: Somatic Morbidity and Cause of Death

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Rikke Kildevæld Simonsen, MA

2016-03-01

Conclusion: Of 98% of all Danish transsexuals who officially underwent SRS from 1978 through 2010, one in three had somatic morbidity and approximately 1 in 10 had died. No significant differences in somatic morbidity or mortality were found between male-to-female and female-to-male individuals. Despite the young average age at death and the relatively larger number of individuals with somatic morbidity, the present study design does not allow for determination of casual relations between, for example, specific types of hormonal or surgical treatment received and somatic morbidity and mortality.

Somatic diseases in patients with schizophrenia in general practice: their prevalence and health care

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Meyboom-de Jong Betty

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Schizophrenia patients frequently develop somatic co-morbidity. Core tasks for GPs are the prevention and diagnosis of somatic diseases and the provision of care for patients with chronic diseases. Schizophrenia patients experience difficulties in recognizing and coping with their physical problems; however GPs have neither specific management policies nor guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of somatic co-morbidity in schizophrenia patients. This paper systematically reviews the prevalence and treatment of somatic co-morbidity in schizophrenia patients in general practice. Methods The MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO data-bases and the Cochrane Library were searched and original research articles on somatic diseases of schizophrenia patients and their treatment in the primary care setting were selected. Results The results of this search show that the incidence of a wide range of diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, the metabolic syndrome, coronary heart diseases, and COPD is significantly higher in schizophrenia patients than in the normal population. The health of schizophrenic patients is less than optimal in several areas, partly due to their inadequate help-seeking behaviour. Current GP management of such patients appears not to take this fact into account. However, when schizophrenic patients seek the GP's help, they value the care provided. Conclusion Schizophrenia patients are at risk of undetected somatic co-morbidity. They present physical complaints at a late, more serious stage. GPs should take this into account by adopting proactive behaviour. The development of a set of guidelines with a clear description of the GP's responsibilities would facilitate the desired changes in the management of somatic diseases in these patients.

The relation between the patient health questionnaire-15 and DSM somatic diagnoses

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Shih-Cheng Liao

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Our purpose was to examine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15 in Taiwan, and to explore its relation to somatoform disorders (DSM-IV and to somatic symptom and related disorders (DSM-5. Methods We recruited 471 individuals, 151 with somatoform disorders and 200 with somatic symptom and related disorders. Subjects completed the Chinese version of the PHQ-15, Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI, and received a DSM-IV- and DSM-5-based diagnostic interview. We performed exploratory factor analysis and assessed test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and correlation with BDI-II/BAI to confirm reliability and validity, and carried out ROC curve analysis to determine suitability for evaluation or screening purposes. PHQ-15 scores were compared between patients with various DSM-IV psychiatric diagnoses (such as DSM-IV somatoform disorders, panic disorder, other anxiety/depressive disorders or no DSM-IV diagnosis and patients with DSM-5 somatic symptom and related disorders or no DSM-5 diagnosis. Results The Chinese version identified cardiopulmonary, pain-fatigue, and gastrointestinal as major factors and had good reliability (0.803–0.930, internal consistency (0.637–0.861, and correlation coefficients with BDI-II/BAI (0.407–0.619, 0.536–0.721, respectively. The PHQ-15 scores were similar in patients with somatoform disorders and patients with panic disorder; higher in patients with somatoform disorders and panic disorder than in patients with other anxiety/depressive disorders; and significantly higher in patients with somatic symptom and related disorders than in patients without this diagnosis. The AUC of the PHQ-15 was 0.678 (cutoff 6/7 for screening somatoform disorders (DSM-IV and 0.725 (cutoff 4/5 for screening somatic symptom and related disorders (DSM-5. Conclusions The Chinese version of the PHQ-15 is suitable for

Somatic Embryogenesis and Plant Regeneration in Eggplant ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR SIDHU

2013-02-20

Feb 20, 2013 ... Two as well as three way interactions of three eggplant genotypes, media compositions and explants. (hypocotyl, cotyledon and leaf) showed significant differences for plant regeneration. Among three explants, hypocotyl induced highest percent callusing, but cotyledon showed best results for somatic.

Developmental localization and the role of hydroxyproline rich glycoproteins during somatic embryogenesis of banana (Musa spp. AAA

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Menzel Diedrik

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hydroxyproline rich glycoproteins (HRGPs are implicated to have a role in many aspects of plant growth and development but there is limited knowledge about their localization and function during somatic embryogenesis of higher plants. In this study, the localization and function of hydroxyproline rich glycoproteins in embryogenic cells (ECs and somatic embryos of banana were investigated by using immunobloting and immunocytochemistry with monoclonal JIM11 and JIM20 antibodies as well as by treatment with 3,4-dehydro-L-proline (3,4-DHP, an inhibitor of extensin biosynthesis, and by immunomodulation with the JIM11 antibody. Results Immunofluorescence labelling of JIM11 and JIM20 hydroxyproline rich glycoprotein epitopes was relatively weak in non-embryogenic cells (NECs, mainly on the edge of small cell aggregates. On the other hand, hydroxyproline rich glycoprotein epitopes were found to be enriched in early embryogenic cells as well as in various developmental stages of somatic embryos. Embryogenic cells (ECs, proembryos and globular embryos showed strong labelling of hydroxyproline rich glycoprotein epitopes, especially in their cell walls and outer surface layer, so-called extracellular matrix (ECM. This hydroxyproline rich glycoprotein signal at embryo surfaces decreased and/or fully disappeared during later developmental stages (e.g. pear-shaped and cotyledonary stages of embryos. In these later developmental embryogenic stages, however, new prominent hydroxyproline rich glycoprotein labelling appeared in tri-cellular junctions among parenchymatic cells inside these embryos. Overall immunofluorescence labelling of late stage embryos with JIM20 antibody was weaker than that of JIM11. Western blot analysis supported the above immunolocalization data. The treatment with 3,4-DHP inhibited the development of embryogenic cells and decreased the rate of embryo germination. Embryo-like structures, which developed after 3,4-DHP

The modulation of visceral functions by somatic afferent activity.

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Sato, A; Schmidt, R F

1987-01-01

We began by briefly reviewing the historical background of neurophysiological studies of the somato-autonomic reflexes and then discussed recent studies on somatic-visceral reflexes in combination with autonomic efferent nerve activity and effector organ responses. Most of the studies that have advanced our knowledge in this area have been carried out on anesthetized animals, thus eliminating emotional factors. We would like to emphasize again that the functions of many, or perhaps all visceral organs can be modulated by somato-sympathetic or somato-parasympathetic reflex activity induced by a appropriate somatic afferent stimulation in anesthetized animals. As mentioned previously, some autonomic nervous outflow, e.g. the adrenal sympathetic nerve activity, is involved in the control of hormonal secretion. John F. Fulton wrote in his famous textbook "Physiology of the Nervous System" (1949) that the posterior pituitary neurosecretion system (i.e. for oxytocin and vasopressin) could be considered a part of the parasympathetic nervous system. In the study of body homeostasis and environmental adaptation it would seem very important to further analyze the contribution of somatic afferent input to the autonomic nervous and hormonal regulation of visceral organ activity. Also, some immunological functions have been found to be influenced by autonomic nerves or hormones (e.g. adrenal cortical hormone and catecholamines). Finally, we must take into account, as we have briefly discussed, that visceral functions can be modulated by somatic afferent input via various degrees of integration of autonomic nerves, hormones, and immunological processes. We trust that such research will be expanded to higher species of mammals, and that ultimately this knowledge of somato-visceral reflexes obtained in the physiological laboratory will become clinically useful in influencing visceral functions.

A review of somatoform disorders in DSM-IV and somatic symptom disorders in proposed DSM-V.

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Ghanizadeh, Ahmad; Firoozabadi, Ali

2012-12-01

Psychiatric care providers should be trained to use current changes in the somatoform disorders criteria. New diagnostic criteria for Somatic Symptom disorders in the proposed DSM-V is discussed and compared with its older counterpart in DSM-IV. A new category called Somatic Syndrome Disorders is suggested. It includes new subcategories such as "Complex Somatic Symptom Disorder" (CSSD) and "Simple Somatic Symptom Disorder" (SSSD). Some of the subcategories of DSM-IV derived disorders are included in CSSD. While there are some changes in diagnostic criteria, there are concerns and limitations about the new classification needed to be more discussed before implementation. Functional somatic disturbance, the counterpart of converion disorder in DSM-IV, can be highly dependet on the developmental level of children. However, the role of developmental level needs to be considered.

Somatic and gastrointestinal in vivo biotransformation rates of hydrophobic chemicals in fish.

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Lo, Justin C; Campbell, David A; Kennedy, Christopher J; Gobas, Frank A P C

2015-10-01

To improve current bioaccumulation assessment methods, a methodology is developed, applied, and investigated for measuring in vivo biotransformation rates of hydrophobic organic substances in the body (soma) and gastrointestinal tract of the fish. The method resembles the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 305 dietary bioaccumulation test but includes reference chemicals to determine both somatic and gastrointestinal biotransformation rates of test chemicals. Somatic biotransformation rate constants for the test chemicals ranged between 0 d(-1) and 0.38 (standard error [SE] 0.03)/d(-1) . Gastrointestinal biotransformation rate constants varied from 0 d(-1) to 46 (SE 7) d(-1) . Gastrointestinal biotransformation contributed more to the overall biotransformation in fish than somatic biotransformation for all test substances but 1. Results suggest that biomagnification tests can reveal the full extent of biotransformation in fish. The common presumption that the liver is the main site of biotransformation may not apply to many substances exposed through the diet. The results suggest that the application of quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) for somatic biotransformation rates and hepatic in vitro models to assess the effect of biotransformation on bioaccumulation can underestimate biotransformation rates and overestimate the biomagnification potential of chemicals that are biotransformed in the gastrointestinal tract. With some modifications, the OECD 305 test can generate somatic and gastrointestinal biotransformation data to develop biotransformation QSARs and test in vitro-in vivo biotransformation extrapolation methods. © 2015 SETAC.

Selection of Norway spruce somatic embryos by computer vision

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Hamalainen, Jari J.; Jokinen, Kari J.

1993-05-01

A computer vision system was developed for the classification of plant somatic embryos. The embryos are in a Petri dish that is transferred with constant speed and they are recognized as they pass a line scan camera. A classification algorithm needs to be installed for every plant species. This paper describes an algorithm for the recognition of Norway spruce (Picea abies) embryos. A short review of conifer micropropagation by somatic embryogenesis is also given. The recognition algorithm is based on features calculated from the boundary of the object. Only part of the boundary corresponding to the developing cotyledons (2 - 15) and the straight sides of the embryo are used for recognition. An index of the length of the cotyledons describes the developmental stage of the embryo. The testing set for classifier performance consisted of 118 embryos and 478 nonembryos. With the classification tolerances chosen 69% of the objects classified as embryos by a human classifier were selected and 31$% rejected. Less than 1% of the nonembryos were classified as embryos. The basic features developed can probably be easily adapted for the recognition of other conifer somatic embryos.

Prediction of Somatization on the Basis of Self-steem, Insomnia and Paranoid Thoughts in University Students

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Farhad Ghadiri Sourman Abadi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Somatization is a somatoform disorder, which medical examinations are not able to explain its reason. In the present research, the role of self-esteem, insomnia, and paranoid thoughts was investigated in somatization disorder. Methods: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted on all students studying at University of Tabriz in the academic year 2014-2015. A total of 270 subjects were selected using stratified random sampling method. In this research, Eysenck Self-Esteem Inventory, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI, Somatization Questionnaire (PHQ-15, and Green et al. Paranoid Thought Scales (GPTS were used. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis tests. Results: Correlation results indicated that somatization disorder has a significant positive relationship with paranoid thoughts and insomnia and a significant negative relationship with self-esteem. Also, based on the results of multiple regression analysis, Insomnia Index had the greatest ability to predict somatization disorder. Conclusion: The findings of this research revealed that factors, such as insomnia, paranoid thoughts, and low self-esteem should be considered in the treatment of somatization disorder.

Network cohesion

OpenAIRE

Cavalcanti, Tiago V. V.; Giannitsarou, Chryssi; Johnson, Charles R.

2016-01-01

This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00199-016-0992-1 We define a measure of network cohesion and show how it arises naturally in a broad class of dynamic models of endogenous perpetual growth with network externalities. Via a standard growth model, we show why network cohesion is crucial for conditional convergence and explain that as cohesion increases, convergence is faster. We prove properties of network cohesion and d...

A Wireless Sensor Network-Based Ubiquitous Paprika Growth Management System

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Jeonghwan Hwang

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Wireless Sensor Network (WSN technology can facilitate advances in productivity, safety and human quality of life through its applications in various industries. In particular, the application of WSN technology to the agricultural area, which is labor-intensive compared to other industries, and in addition is typically lacking in IT technology applications, adds value and can increase the agricultural productivity. This study attempts to establish a ubiquitous agricultural environment and improve the productivity of farms that grow paprika by suggesting a ‘Ubiquitous Paprika Greenhouse Management System’ using WSN technology. The proposed system can collect and monitor information related to the growth environment of crops outside and inside paprika greenhouses by installing WSN sensors and monitoring images captured by CCTV cameras. In addition, the system provides a paprika greenhouse environment control facility for manual and automatic control from a distance, improves the convenience and productivity of users, and facilitates an optimized environment to grow paprika based on the growth environment data acquired by operating the system.

Carbon source dependent somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. SVPR2 through suspension cultures.

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Ganesan, M; Jayabalan, N

2005-10-01

Highly reproducible and simple protocol for cotton somatic embryogenesis is described here by using different concentrations of maltose, glucose, sucrose and fructose. Maltose (30 g/l) is the best carbon source for embryogenic callus induction and glucose (30 g/l) was suitable for induction, maturation of embryoids and plant regeneration. Creamy white embryogenic calli of hypocotyl explants were formed on medium containing MS basal salts, myo-inositol (100 mg/l), thiamine HCI (0.3 mg/l), picloram (0.3 mg/l), Kin (0.1 mg/l) and maltose (30 g/l). During embryo induction and maturation, accelerated growth was observed in liquid medium containing NH3NO4 (1 g/l), picloram (2.0 mg/l), 2 ip (0.2 mg/l), Kin (0.1 mg/l) and glucose (30 g/l). Before embryoid induction, large clumps of embryogenic tissue were formed. These tissues only produced viable embryoids. Completely matured somatic embryos were germinated successfully on the medium fortified with MS salts, myo-inositol (50 mg/l), thiamine HCl (0.2 mg/l), GA3 (0.2 mg/l), BA (1.0 mg/l) and glucose (30 g/l). Compared with earlier reports, 65% of somatic embryo germination was observed. The abnormal embryo formation was highly reduced by using glucose (30 g/l) compared to other carbon sources. The regenerated plantlets were fertile but smaller in height than the seed derived control plants.

Writing Bodies: Somatic Mind in Composition Studies.

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Fleckenstein, Kristie S.

1999-01-01

Discusses the somatic mind, a permeable materiality in which mind and body resolve into a single entity which is (re)formed by the constantly shifting boundaries of discursive and corporeal intertextualities. Addresses its importance in composition studies. Critiques the poststructuralist disregard of corporeality. (CR)

Unexplained somatic symptoms during major depression: prevalence and clinical impact in a national sample of Italian psychiatric outpatients.

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Perugi, Giulio; Canonico, Pier Luigi; Carbonato, Paolo; Mencacci, Claudio; Muscettola, Giovanni; Pani, Luca; Torta, Riccardo; Vampini, Claudio; Fornaro, Michele; Parazzini, Fabio; Dumitriu, Arina

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and impact of unexplained somatic symptoms during major depression. A total of 560 consecutive outpatients with a major depressive episode according to the DSM-IV (text revision) were evaluated in 30 psychiatric facilities throughout Italy. 'Unexplained' somatic symptoms were evaluated using the 30-item Somatic Symptoms Checklist (SSCL-30). Somatic symptoms were considered explained if they were best accounted for as coming from a concomitant physical illness or side effects. Patients evaluated their own mood symptomatology using the Zung questionnaires for depression and anxiety and the Hypomania Checklist-32. According to the SSCL-30, only 90 subjects (16.1%) had no unexplained somatic symptoms, while 231 (41.3%) had 1-5 unexplained symptoms and 239 (42.7%) had more than 5. Asthenia was the most commonly observed unexplained somatic symptom (53% of patients). Unexplained somatic symptoms were more common in females and among those suffering from major depression and depression not otherwise specified rather than in patients with recurrent major depression and bipolar disorders. No relationship between unexplained somatic symptoms and hypomanic features was observed. The presence of a large number of unexplained somatic symptoms is associated with more severe depression and higher rates of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

A continuous culture system of direct somatic embryogenesis in microspore-derived embryos of Brassica juncea.

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Prabhudesai, V; Bhaskaran, S

1993-03-01

An efficient culture system has been developed for repeated cycles of somatic embryogenesis in microspore-derived embryos of Brassica juncea without a callus phase. Haploid embryos produced through anther culture showed a high propensity for direct production of somatic embryos in response to 2 mgL(-1) BA and 0.1 mgL(-1) NAA. The embryogenic cultures which comprised the elongated embryonal axis of microspore-derived embryos when explanted and grown on the medium of same composition produced a large number of secondary embryos. These somatic embryos in turn underwent axis elongation and produced more somatic embryos when explanted and cultured. This cycle of repetitive somatic embryogenesis continued with undiminished vigour passage after passage and was monitored for more than a year. Somatic embryos from any passage when isolated at cotyledonary stage and grown on auxin-free medium for 5 days and then on a medium containing NAA (0.1 mgL(-1)), developed into complete plants with a profuse root system and were easily established in the soil. The cytology of the root tips of these plants confirmed their haploid nature. The total absence of callus phase makes the system ideal for continuous cloning of androgenic lines, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and mutation induction studies.

Significance of somatic mutations and content alteration of mitochondrial DNA in esophageal cancer

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Wang Yu-Fen

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The roles of mitochondria in energy metabolism, the generation of ROS, aging, and the initiation of apoptosis have implicated their importance in tumorigenesis. In this study we aim to establish the mutation spectrum and to understand the role of somatic mtDNA mutations in esophageal cancer. Methods The entire mitochondrial genome was screened for somatic mutations in 20 pairs (18 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas, one adenosquamous carcinoma and one adenocarcinoma of tumor/surrounding normal tissue of esophageal cancers, using temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE, followed by direct DNA sequencing to identify the mutations. Results Fourteen somatic mtDNA mutations were identified in 55% (11/20 of tumors analyzed, including 2 novel missense mutations and a frameshift mutation in ND4L, ATP6 subunit, and ND4 genes respectively. Nine mutations (64% were in the D-loop region. Numerous germline variations were found, at least 10 of them were novel and five were missense mutations, some of them occurred in evolutionarily conserved domains. Using real-time quantitative PCR analysis, the mtDNA content was found to increase in some tumors and decrease in others. Analysis of molecular and other clinicopathological findings does not reveal significant correlation between somatic mtDNA mutations and mtDNA content, or between mtDNA content and metastatic status. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that somatic mtDNA mutations in esophageal cancers are frequent. Some missense and frameshift mutations may play an important role in the tumorigenesis of esophageal carcinoma. More extensive biochemical and molecular studies will be necessary to determine the pathological significance of these somatic mutations.

The black box in somatization: unexplained physical symptoms, culture, and narratives of trauma.

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Waitzkin, H; Magaña, H

1997-09-01

Stimulated by our clinical work with patients who manifest unexplained "somatoform" symptoms in the primary care setting, this article addresses a theoretical black box in our understanding of somatization: how does culture mediate severe stress to produce symptoms that cannot be explained by the presence of physical illness? Despite various problems in his explanation of hysteria, Freud broke new ground by emphasizing narratives of traumatic experiences in the development and treatment of unexplained physical symptoms. Except in anthropologically oriented cultural psychiatry, contemporary psychiatry has traveled away from a focus on narrative in the study of somatization. On the other hand, recent interest in narrative has spread across many intellectual disciplines, including the humanities and literary criticism, psychology, history, anthropology, and sociology. We operationally define narratives as attempts at storytelling that portray the interrelationships among physical symptoms and the psychologic, social, or cultural context of these symptoms. Regarding somatization and trauma, we focus on the ways that narrative integrates the cultural context with traumatic life events. In explaining the black box, we postulate that extreme stress (torture, rape, witnessing deaths of relatives, forced migration, etc.) is processed psychologically as a terrible, largely incoherent narrative of events too awful to hold in consciousness. Culture patterns the psychologic and somatic expression of the terrible narrative. Methodologically, we have developed some techniques for eliciting narratives of severe stress and somatic symptoms, which we illustrate with observations from an ongoing research project. In designing interventions to improve the care of somatizing patients, we are focusing on the creation of social situations where patients may feel empowered to express more coherent narratives of their prior traumatic experiences.

Differential nuclear remodeling of mammalian somatic cells by Xenopus laevis oocyte and egg cytoplasm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alberio, Ramiro; Johnson, Andrew D.; Stick, Reimer; Campbell, Keith H.S.

2005-01-01

The mechanisms governing nuclear reprogramming have not been fully elucidated yet; however, recent studies show a universally conserved ability of both oocyte and egg components to reprogram gene expression in somatic cells. The activation of genes associated with pluripotency by oocyte/egg components may require the remodeling of nuclear structures, such that they can acquire the features of early embryos and pluripotent cells. Here, we report on the remodeling of the nuclear lamina of mammalian cells by Xenopus oocyte and egg extracts. Lamin A/C is removed from somatic cells incubated in oocyte and egg extracts in an active process that requires permeable nuclear pores. Removal of lamin A/C is specific, since B-type lamins are not changed, and it is not dependent on the incorporation Xenopus egg specific lamin III. Moreover, transcriptional activity is differentially regulated in somatic cells incubated in the extracts. Pol I and II transcriptions are maintained in cells in oocyte extracts; however, both activities are abolished in egg extracts. Our study shows that components of oocyte and egg extracts can modify the nuclear lamina of somatic cells and that this nuclear remodeling induces a structural change in the nucleus which may have implications for transcriptional activity. These experiments suggest that modifications in the nuclear lamina structure by the removal of somatic proteins and the incorporation of oocyte/egg components may contribute to the reprogramming of somatic cell nuclei and may define a characteristic configuration of pluripotent cells

Interoceptive Dysfunction: Toward An Integrated Framework for Understanding Somatic and Affective Disturbance in Depression

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Harshaw, Christopher

2014-01-01

Depression is characterized by disturbed sleep and eating, a variety of other, nonspecific somatic symptoms, and significant somatic comorbidities. Why there is such close association between cognitive and somatic dysfunction in depression is nonetheless poorly understood. An explosion of research in the area of interoception—the perception and interpretation of bodily signals—over the last decade nonetheless holds promise for illuminating what have until now been obscure links between the social, cognitive-affective, and somatic features of depression. This paper reviews rapidly accumulating evidence that both somatic signaling and interoception are frequently altered in depression. This includes comparative studies showing vagus-mediated effects on depression-like behaviors in rodent models as well as studies in humans indicating both dysfunction in the neural substrates for interoception (e.g., vagus, insula, anterior cingulate cortex) and reduced sensitivity to bodily stimuli in depression. An integrative framework for organizing and interpreting this evidence is put forward which incorporates (a) multiple potential pathways to interoceptive dysfunction; (b) interaction with individual, gender, and cultural differences in interoception; and (c) a developmental psychobiological systems perspective, emphasizing likely differential susceptibility to somatic and interoceptive dysfunction across the lifespan. Combined with current theory and evidence, it is suggested that core symptoms of depression (e.g., anhedonia, social deficits) may be products of disturbed interoceptive-exteroceptive integration. More research is nonetheless needed to fully elucidate the relationship between mind, body, and social context in depression. PMID:25365763

Growth and wood properties of genetically improved loblolly pine: propagation type comparison and genetic parameters

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Finto Antony; Laurence Schimleck; Lewis Jordan; Benjamin Hornsby; Joseph Dahlen; Richard Daniels; Alexander Clark; Luis Apiolaza; Dudley Huber

2013-01-01

The use of clonal varieties in forestry offers great potential to improve growth traits (quantity) and wood properties (quality) of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). Loblolly pine trees established via somatic embryogenesis (clones), full-sib zygotic crosses, and half-sib zygotic open-pollinated families were sampled to identify variation in growth and wood properties...

Thyroxine modifies the effects of growth hormone in Ames dwarf mice.

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Do, Andrew; Menon, Vinal; Zhi, Xu; Gesing, Adam; Wiesenborn, Denise S; Spong, Adam; Sun, Liou; Bartke, Andrzej; Masternak, Michal M

2015-04-01

Ames dwarf (df/df) mice lack growth hormone (GH), thyroid stimulating hormone and prolactin. Treatment of juvenile df/df mice with GH alone stimulates somatic growth, reduces insulin sensitivity and shortens lifespan. Early-life treatment with thyroxine (T4) alone produces modest growth stimulation but does not affect longevity. In this study, we examined the effects of treatment of juvenile Ames dwarf mice with a combination of GH + T4 and compared them to the effects of GH alone. Treatment of female and male dwarfs with GH + T4 between the ages of 2 and 8 weeks rescued somatic growth yet did not reduce lifespan to match normal controls, thus contrasting with the previously reported effects of GH alone. While the male dwarf GH + T4 treatment group had no significant effect on lifespan, the female dwarfs undergoing treatment showed a decrease in maximal longevity. Expression of genes related to GH and insulin signaling in the skeletal muscle and white adipose tissue (WAT) of female dwarfs was differentially affected by treatment with GH + T4 vs. GH alone. Differences in the effects of GH + T4 vs. GH alone on insulin target tissues may contribute to the differential effects of these treatments on longevity.

Mild Social Stress in Mice Produces Opioid-Mediated Analgesia in Visceral but Not Somatic Pain States.

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Pitcher, Mark H; Gonzalez-Cano, Rafael; Vincent, Kathleen; Lehmann, Michael; Cobos, Enrique J; Coderre, Terence J; Baeyens, José M; Cervero, Fernando

2017-06-01

Visceral pain has a greater emotional component than somatic pain. To determine if the stress-induced analgesic response is differentially expressed in visceral versus somatic pain states, we studied the effects of a mild social stressor in either acute visceral or somatic pain states in mice. We show that the presence of an unfamiliar conspecific mouse (stranger) in an adjacent cubicle of a standard transparent observation box produced elevated plasma corticosterone levels compared with mice tested alone, suggesting that the mere presence of a stranger is stressful. We then observed noxious visceral or somatic stimulation-induced nociceptive behavior in mice tested alone or in mildly stressful conditions (ie, beside an unfamiliar stranger). Compared with mice tested alone, the presence of a stranger produced a dramatic opioid-dependent reduction in pain behavior associated with visceral but not somatic pain. This social stress-induced reduction of visceral pain behavior relied on visual but not auditory/olfactory cues. These findings suggest that visceral pain states may provoke heightened responsiveness to mild stressors, an effect that could interfere with testing outcomes during simultaneous behavioral testing of multiple rodents. In mice, mild social stress due to the presence of an unfamiliar conspecific mouse reduces pain behavior associated with noxious visceral but not somatic stimulation, suggesting that stress responsiveness may be enhanced in visceral pain versus somatic pain states. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Genetic transformation of olive somatic embryos through ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

2011-06-20

Jun 20, 2011 ... 2Department of Biochemistry, National Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran. Accepted 9 March, 2011. Transformed olive plants were regenerated from inoculated somatic embryos with Agrobacterium tumefacience strain GV3101, which carries the plasmid pBI-P5CS containing ...

Somatic And Behavioral Changes Associated With Difuse ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aims: The effects of diffuse transcranial electrical stimulation on somatic and behavioral changes in anaesthetized and unanaesthetized normal male and female Wister rats was studied. Method: Diffuse transcranial electrical stimulation (0-25v, frequency 90Hz,pulse width 1ms) was administered via two electrodes clipped ...

Cis-regulatory somatic mutations and gene-expression alteration in B-cell lymphomas.

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Mathelier, Anthony; Lefebvre, Calvin; Zhang, Allen W; Arenillas, David J; Ding, Jiarui; Wasserman, Wyeth W; Shah, Sohrab P

2015-04-23

With the rapid increase of whole-genome sequencing of human cancers, an important opportunity to analyze and characterize somatic mutations lying within cis-regulatory regions has emerged. A focus on protein-coding regions to identify nonsense or missense mutations disruptive to protein structure and/or function has led to important insights; however, the impact on gene expression of mutations lying within cis-regulatory regions remains under-explored. We analyzed somatic mutations from 84 matched tumor-normal whole genomes from B-cell lymphomas with accompanying gene expression measurements to elucidate the extent to which these cancers are disrupted by cis-regulatory mutations. We characterize mutations overlapping a high quality set of well-annotated transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs), covering a similar portion of the genome as protein-coding exons. Our results indicate that cis-regulatory mutations overlapping predicted TFBSs are enriched in promoter regions of genes involved in apoptosis or growth/proliferation. By integrating gene expression data with mutation data, our computational approach culminates with identification of cis-regulatory mutations most likely to participate in dysregulation of the gene expression program. The impact can be measured along with protein-coding mutations to highlight key mutations disrupting gene expression and pathways in cancer. Our study yields specific genes with disrupted expression triggered by genomic mutations in either the coding or the regulatory space. It implies that mutated regulatory components of the genome contribute substantially to cancer pathways. Our analyses demonstrate that identifying genomically altered cis-regulatory elements coupled with analysis of gene expression data will augment biological interpretation of mutational landscapes of cancers.

Ammonium-related metabolic changes affect somatic embryogenesis in pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Mihaljević, Snježana; Radić, Sandra; Bauer, Nataša; Garić, Rade; Mihaljević, Branka; Horvat, Gordana; Leljak-Levanić, Dunja; Jelaska, Sibila

2011-11-01

Somatic embryogenesis in pumpkin can be induced on auxin-containing medium and also on hormone-free medium containing 1mM ammonium (NH(4)(+)) as the sole source of nitrogen. Growth of NH(4)(+)-induced embryogenic tissue was slow and caused considerable acidification of the culture medium. Small spherical cells with dense cytoplasma formed proembryogenic cell clusters that could not develop into late stage embryos. Buffering of NH(4)(+) medium with 25mM 2-(N-morpholino)-ethane-sulfonic acid enhanced tissue proliferation, but no further differentiation was observed. Later stage embryos developed only after re-supply of nitrogen in form of nitrate or l-glutamine. Effects of nitrogen status and pH of culture media on ammonium assimilation were analyzed by following the activity of glutamine synthetase (GS) in relation to phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). Increased activity of GS and PAL in NH(4)(+) induced tissue coincided with significantly higher activity of stress-related enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and soluble peroxidase (POD), indicating oxidative stress response of embryogenic tissue to NH(4)(+) as the sole source of nitrogen. In addition, considerable increase was observed in callose accumulation and esterase activity, the early markers of somatic embryogenesis. Activity of stress-related enzymes decreased after the re-supply of nitrate (20mM) or Gln (10mM) in combination with NH(4)(+) (1mM), which subsequently triggered globular embryo development. Together, these results suggest that stress responses, as affected by nitrogen supply, contribute to the regulation of embryogenic competence in pumpkin. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Somatic health of 2500 women examined at a sexual assault center over 10 years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Mie-Louise; Hilden, Malene; Skovlund, Charlotte W

2016-01-01

Assault in Copenhagen, and 10004 women without a known assault experience (controls). Somatic diagnoses were retrieved from the National Health Registry and number of visits to general practitioners from the Danish Health Insurance Registry. Somatic data were assessed during the five-year period before......INTRODUCTION: Sexual assault is a public health issue with many potential short- and long-term consequences for the victims. We aimed to investigate somatic health of women before and after sexual assault. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 2501 women who attended the Centre for Victims of Sexual...

Nuclear reprogramming of somatic nucleus hybridized with embryonic stem cells by electrofusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Tada, Masako; Tada, Takashi