Final Recipients Research Articles

Plant metabolomics: A new frontier in phytochemical analysis

The primary and secondary metabolites found in plant cells are the final recipients of biological information flow. In turn, their levels can influence gene expression and protein stability. Qualitative and quantitative measurements of these metabolites reflect the cellular state under defined conditions, and yield critical insights into the cellular processes that control the biochemical phenotype of the cell, tissue or whole organism. Metabolomics differs from traditional targeted phytochemical analysis in various fundamental aspects; for example, it is a data-driven approach with predictive power that aims to assess all measurable metabolites without any pre-conception or pre-selection. As such, metabolomics is providing new dimensions in the study of systems biology, enabling the in-depth understanding of the intra- and extracellular interactions of plant cells. Metabolomics is also developing into a valuable tool that can be used to monitor and assess gene function, and to characterise post-genomic processes from a broad perspective. Here, we give an overview of the fundamental analytical technologies and subsequent multivariate data analyses involved in plant metabolomics as a research tool to study various aspects of plant biology.

A Nitric Oxide-dependent Cross-talk between Class I and III Histone Deacetylases Accelerates Skin Repair

In a mouse model of skin repair we found that the class I-IIa histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A accelerated tissue regeneration. Unexpectedly, this effect was suppressed by Sirtinol, a class III histone deacetylase (HDAC) (sirtuin)-selective inhibitor. The role of sirtuins (SIRTs) was then investigated by using resveratrol and a novel SIRT1-2-3 activator, the MC2562 compound we synthesized recently. Both resveratrol and MC2562 were effective in accelerating wound repair. The local administration of natural or synthetic SIRT activators, in fact, significantly accelerated skin regeneration by increasing keratinocyte proliferation. In vitro experiments revealed that the activation of SIRTs stimulated keratinocyte proliferation via endothelial NO synthase phosphorylation and NO production. In this condition, the class I member HDAC2 was found S-nitrosylated on cysteine, a post-transduction modification associated with loss of activity and DNA binding capacity. After deacetylase inhibitor or SIRT activator treatment, ChIP showed, in fact, a significant HDAC2 detachment from the promoter region of insulin growth factor I (IGF-I), fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF-10), and Epithelial Growth Factor (EGF), which may be the final recipients and effectors of the SIRT-NO-HDAC signaling cascade. Consistently, the effect of SIRT activators was reduced in the presence of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a general inhibitor of NO synthesis. In conclusion, the NO-dependent cross-talk among class III and I histone deacetylases suggests an unprecedented signaling pathway important for skin repair.

A Study on Change in the Subae nongga at the Time of the South Korean Land Reform: The Case of Namjong-myeon, Gwangju City

Though strictly forbidden by the South Korean Land Reform Act (1950), the resale of lands distributed by that land reform was widespread. In Namjong-myeon, 38.3 percent of the recipient households (the so-called subae nongga , those households that originally received land under the land reform) resold their distributed lands in de facto land sales. As a result of such sales, while the recipient households in Namjong-myeon had numbered 371, the actual number of recipient households-those who ultimately gained possession of the distributed lands-increased to 393. Among these 371 subae nongga households, 77 abandoned their distributed lands. Those who did so were economically disadvantaged relative to their peers in both the size of their landholdings as well as land distributions. Yet, despite the widespread de facto buying and selling of land at the time of the land reform, ultimately there was little difference between the original recipients and final recipients of distributed land in terms of land size and ownership. This means that the equalitarianism of the South Korean land reform, which is regarded as one of the key factors behind the successful growth of the South Korean economy, was steadfastly maintained even through the turmoil of the Korean War.

Credible commitment and congestion pricing

Transportation analysts frequently assert that congestion pricing’s political obstacles can be overcome through astute use of the toll revenue pricing generates. Such “revenue recycling,” however, implies that the collectors of the toll revenue will not be its final recipients, meaning that any revenue recipient must believe that the revenue collector will honor promises to deliver the money. This raises the potential for credible commitment problems. Promises to spend revenue can solve one political problem, because revenue is an easy benefit to understand, but create another one, because revenue is easy to divert. Revenue recycling may therefore not be a promising way to build political support for congestion pricing. We highlight the role commitment problems have played efforts to implement congestion pricing, using examples from around the world and then focusing on California. Because congestion reduction is a more certain benefit than any particular use of the toll revenue, demonstration projects, rather than revenue promises, will be key to pricing’s political success.

Diffusing Education for Sustainability into Teacher Education Programme in Nigeria: A Theory in Use

The benefits of integrated understanding of the issues, acquisition of the knowledge and the skills, understanding of the right perspectives, and development of appropriate values in respect of the intertwined actions and reactions of environment, economy and society make Education for Sustainability(EfS) an innovation that must be explored – more importantly for communication within the formal education sector, because such learning may be more sustainable than the one received through the informal system. This paper therefore explores an application of the “Diffusion of Innovation Theory” which identifies information, its communication, the social system and time as the four essential elements involved in the dissemination of information about an emerging problem; and in this context, an education that combines the study of development and environment as the innovation that should be communicated within the formal education sector, using the socially critical orientations and based on negotiations between the teacher and the recipients(learners). The paper thus reflects on the educational implications of the theory and suggests that curriculum of teacher education institutions must be reviewed to accommodate the learning content of EfS (e.g. climate change, green economy, democracy equity and social justice, structural change, reclamation of social bonds, waste disposal/management/recycling) and theorising more on learner -friendly approaches, so as to have a trickle down effects on the younger generation of school children who are the final recipients of environment and development-related education.

Public transfers to the poor: is Europe really much more generous than the United States?

Fighting poverty is an important concern in most societies. This usually involves transferring resources to the poor. There exists a widespread view that European countries are much more generous to the poor than the United States. We study whether this is really the case. First, we argue that using data on aggregate spending does not allow us to conclude who the final recipients of social expenditure are. We then analyze microeconomic evidence from the Current Population Survey and the European Community Household Panel and find mixed results. In particular, when the concept of relative poverty is used, we find that every individual below the poverty line receives an average transfer in the United States that is 45% higher than in the European Union. When the old are excluded from the sample, this difference is reduced to 14%.

A Novel Approach to the In Vitro Hydrodynamic Study of the Aortic Valve: Mock Loop Development and Test

The aortic root functional unit (ARFU) is a complex structure whose functions are strictly dependent on the biomechanical interaction among each of its anatomically defined elements. The classical approach to the in vitro study of aortic hydrodynamics does not take this complexity into account. We propose a novel methodology based on the possibility to house whole natural ARFU samples in a purposely designed pulsatile mock loop, allowing for aortic surgery simulation. To point out the usability and potentialities of the device, the mock loop was tested with untreated porcine ARFU samples and with one ARFU prosthesized with a state-of-the-art bioprosthesis. The sample holder design was proved to allow the clinician to house and treat the ARFU sample in the mock loop with easiness and repeatability. The valve leakage with the prosthesized ARFU was comparable with literature data, and Effective orifice areas were consistent with the constructor's data. In contrast, the recorded pressure drops exceeded the data from the manufacturer and were quite aligned with in vivo postop echo-Doppler data acquired in implant recipients. This result suggests that our apparatus and methodology provide a way to investigate aortic hydrodynamic phenomena that resemble in a close way to those taking place in the final recipients' circulation.

A path to the successful implementation of Business Intelligence: An example from the Hellenic Banking sector

This article is concerned with the implementation of Business Intelligence (BI), presenting an example from the Hellenic Banking sector. By viewing the implementation as a socio-technical process, the article suggests that any successful implementation of BI is depended on the ability of managers to identify, and be persistent in following, a trajectory ‘path’ that starts from data and reaches the final recipients of the information high on the organizational pyramid. Along this path implementers should retain a high level of awareness regarding multiple social and technical issues that may arise during this trajectory. With this in mind, and by focusing on the implementation journey, the example illustrates a pragmatic and practical approach for eliminating pitfalls that may hinder the successful outcome of such initiatives.

La organización de la campaña naval de las Azores de 1582: corte y territorio en la monarquía de Felipe II

This study is aimed at dealing with the exercise of royal power, its intermediation through the court and its projection on territories through an analysis of the organization of a specific military campaign, namely the Azores campaign of 1582, in greater depth. The common thread which helps us better understand this event is a closer examination of the leading figure and officer who took part: the field master Francisco de Bobadilla, future count of Punonrostro. This analysis will allow us to establish the characteristics of two different types of relationship between the instruments of the sovereign’s power, taken to be either receivers and distributors of his grace or as negotiators of his delegated jurisdiction. The key to achieving this objective is to perform a vertical study, following a line starting from the monarch himself and terminating at the final recipients of his orders, passing through the intermediate ministers and secretaries, as well as a horizontal cross-section of the court, which will allow us to comprehend the different connections between the different servants and institutions of the monarch, either at court or further afield in the king’s territories.

Stability evaluation of vaccines: WHO approach

The stability of vaccines has a major impact on the success of immunization programmes worldwide. In line with this, clear definition of the stability characteristics of a vaccine is of critical importance. One of the concerns at country level is whether vaccines will remain potent on its way from the manufacturer, through the distribution channels, to the final users and vaccine recipients. In response to the requests for assistance in defining stability profile of vaccines, the Expert Committee on Biological Standardization (ECBS) in October 2006 agreed that new WHO guidelines be established on stability evaluation of vaccines ( http://www.who.int/biologicals/publications/trs/areas/vaccines/stability/en/index.html). This document applies to all vaccines against infectious diseases. The aim of this guideline is to provide the scientific basis and guiding principles for evaluation of vaccine stability for the purpose of clinical trial approval, licensing, and post-licensure monitoring. As part of its initiative to promote use of vaccines of assured quality, WHO emphasizes the role of National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and National Control Laboratories (NCLs) in overall vaccine evaluation, including stability assessment. While recognizing that manufacturers are responsible for the quality of the vaccines they produce, compliance with vaccine quality specifications is part of regulatory oversight. This article provides basic information about WHO international standards as well as key definitions and principles for stability evaluation of vaccines that are elaborated in detail in the above mentioned guidance document.

20 IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF DAYS 17 AND 19 OVINE IN VIVO AND SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER EMBRYOS

The present study aimed to characterize development of in vivo and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) Merino ovine embryos on Days 17 and 19 using the mesoderm marker vimentin, the neuroectoderm marker β-tubulin III, and the pluripotency marker OCT4 for primordial germ cells. In vivo embryos were obtained by transferring 10 to 20 zygotes to each of 20 intermediate recipient ewes. On Day 6, 4 final recipients were used to obtain embryos for recovery at Day 17 (n = 2) and at Day 19 (n = 2). SCNT embryos were constructed from in vitro-matured oocytes and adult granulosa cells. On Day 6, 9 embryos (with intact inner cell masses) were transferred to each recipient for collection at Day 17 (n = 2) and Day 19 (n = 2). Ewes were euthanazed with phenobarbitone and excised reproductive tracts flushed with saline. A total of 24 embryos at Day 17 (14 in vivo and 10 SCNT) and 23 embryos at Day 19 (11 in vivo and 12 SCNT) were collected and processed for immunohistochemistry. On Day 17, length of embryo proper for in vivo and SCNT embryos was 6.2 and 5.6 mm, width of allantois was 9.3 and 3.8 mm, and number of somites was 19 and 13, respectively. On Day 19, length of embryo proper for in vivo and SCNT embryos was 11.5 and 7.3 mm, width of allantois was 70.6 and 13.7 mm, and number of somites was 28 and 22, respectively. On both Day 17 and Day 19, in vivo embryos had a much larger allantois, more somites, and were longer in length. Vimentin staining was observed in all in vivo embryos at Day 17 and Day 19; however, in 75% of Day 17 SCNT embryos, differentiation of the somites into dermatome with underlying sclerotome was either delayed or absent. Similarly, at both Day 17 and Day 19, a larger proportion of embryos did not stain for β-tubulin III, and of those that did, only a small amount was found in the neural tube. The intensity of both stains was much weaker in the SCNT embryos compared to in vivo embryos. Oct-4 was initially found in the splanchnic mesoderm lining the endoderm in the wall of the yolk sac and later in the dorsal mesentery and medial aspect of the mesonephros with in vivo embryos having double the number of positively stained cells than SCNT embryos. The delay in mesoderm compartments of SCNT embryos could imply future problems in the musculoskeletal system. However, lack of any neuroectoderm staining in more than half SCNT embryos could point to neurological problems being more of an issue in terms of survival and well-being. Equally, the smaller allantois could induce later placental abnormalities. The current project was funded by the Co-operative Research Centre for Innovative Dairy Products (CRC-IDP), Australia.

Heavy Metal Levels and Physico – Chemical Quality of Potable Water Supply in Warri, Nigeria

The interaction between man's activities and the environment is gaining world wide attention. Warri an oil producing community in Delta State of Nigeria is faced with environmental oil pollution. Since open and underground water bodies are regarded as final recipients of most environmental pollutants, this study sought to provide data on the levels of the physico-chemical parameters and contaminants in Warri metropolitan water supply. This study investigated the cadmium, lead and chromium using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, physico-chemical properties such as pH, temperature, total suspended solid TSS, total dissolved solid TDS, electrical conductivity EC, biological oxygen demand BOD, dissolved oxygen DO, chemical oxygen demand COD, and total coliform count of potable water sources in Warri. Ekpan River was found to have 1.2 mg/L of cadmium, 1.0 mg/L of chromium, 1.20 mg/L of lead and 2.0 mg/L of manganese. The heavy metals levels and the pollution parameters were lowest in the borehole water samples, except pH which is more acidic in borehole water samples and conductivity which is more in well water samples in all the sampling stations. Some of the parameters were above WHO standards.

Morphological characterization of pre- and peri-implantation in vitro cultured, somatic cell nuclear transfer and in vivo derived ovine embryos

The processes of cellular differentiation were studied in somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), in vitro cultured (IVC) and in vivo developed (in vivo) ovine embryos on days 7, 9, 11, 13, 17 and 19. SCNT embryos were constructed from in vitro matured oocytes and granulosa cells, and IVC embryos were produced by in vitro culture of in vivo fertilized zygotes. Most SCNT and IVC embryos were transferred to recipients on day 6 while some remained in culture for day 7 processing. In vivo embryos were collected as zygotes, transferred to intermediate recipients and retransferred to final recipients on day 6. All embryos were processed for examination by light and transmission electron microscopy or immunohistochemical labelling for alpha-1-fetoprotein and vimentin. Overall, morphological development of in vivo embryos was superior to IVC and SCNT embryos. Day 7 and particularly day 9 IVC and SCNT embryos had impaired hypoblast development, some lacking identifiable inner cell masses. On day 11, only in vivo and IVC embryos had developed an embryonic disc, and gastrulation was evident in half of in vivo embryos and one IVC embryo. By day 13, all in vivo embryos had completed gastrulation whereas IVC and SCNT embryos remained retarded. On days 17 and 19, in vivo embryos had significantly more somites and a more developed allantois than IVC and SCNT embryos. We conclude that IVC and particularly SCNT procedures cause a retardation of embryo development and cell differentiation at days 7-19 of gestation.

The reuse of wastewater and sludge for cultivation of forestry trees in desert areas in Greece

Processed wastewaters and sludges can be used in the irrigation of forest and desert areas for the cultivation of different plant species. Their use in the reforestation of desert areas is particularly interesting because it not only addresses the important modern problems of water shortage and desertification, but also reduces the pollution of aquatic ecosystems that are used as the final recipients of supposedly processed sewage from treatment plants. The analysis of all the parameters (chemical, environmental, geological) that are related to the by-products of the operation of such plants in both small and large municipalities of Greece will allow the disposal of wastes in the aquatic ecosystems to be reduced, and minimise pollution of the coastal and tourist urban regions of the country.

Embryo production by ovum pick up from live donors

Embryo production by in vitro techniques has increased steadily over the years. For cattle where this technology is more advanced and is applied more, the number of in vitro produced embryos transferred to final recipients was over 30,000 in 1998. An increasing proportion of in vitro produced embryos are coming from oocytes collected from live donors by ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration (ovum pick up, OPU). This procedure allows the repeated production of embryos from live donors of particular value and is a serious alternative to superovulation. Ovum pick up is a very flexible technique. It can be performed twice a week for many weeks without side effects on the donor's reproductive career. The donor can be in almost any physiological status and still be suitable for oocyte recovery. A scanner with a sectorial or convex probe and a vacuum pump are required. Collection is performed with minimal stress to the donor. An average of 8 to 10 oocytes are collected per OPU with an average production of 2 transferable embryos. The laboratory production of embryos from such oocytes does not differ from that of oocytes harvested at slaughter as the results after transfer to final recipients. For other species such as buffalo and horses OPU has been attempted similarly to cattle and data will be presented and reviewed. For small ruminants, laparotomy or laparoscopy seems the only reliable route so far to collect oocytes from live donors.

Fetoplacental Growth in Sheep Administered Progesterone during the First Three Days of Pregnancy

We have previously shown that administration of progesterone during early pregnancy in sheep enhances fetal weight and crown–rump length. The present study examined the effect of this treatment on individual fetal organ weights and on placental growth and structure. Embryos that had been exposed to either a normal or a high concentration of progesterone on days 1–3 in initial recipient ewes were transferred at random to final recipient ewes that had or had not been treated with progesterone on days 1–3. Embryos in an additional group of ewes were exposed to progesterone on days 1–3 with oviducts of the ewes ligated.An increase in fetal weight was observed in the final recipient group that had been treated with progesterone (P< 0.01) but not in the initial group treated with progesterone. Fetal weight was increased (P< 0.05) in the initial recipients treated with progesterone plus ligation. Placental weight did not differ between any of the treatments in either initial or final recipients, while placental volumes of chorionic membrane and maternal crypts were increased by progesterone, with and without ligation, in initial recipients (P< 0.05). The responses of fetal weight in final recipients were associated with increases in the weight and linear dimensions of specific fetal components (e.g. brain, kidney, heart, spleen, total gut, head width, thorax circumference). Proportionate increases were observed for most parameters with the exception of brain, heart and M tibialis anterior weight; adjusted least squares means indicated disproportionate increases in these of 5 per cent, 32 per cent and 26 per cent respectively. Enhanced fetal weight in the progesterone plus ligation group was associated with increased (P< 0.05) heart weight; a disproportionate increase of 39 per cent was recorded. Increased fetal weight and fetal heart, skeletal muscle and brain weight were correlated with increased volumes and surface area of the fetal trophectoderm and maternal fetomaternal syncytium in the final recipients treated with progesterone. It is concluded that alteration of the embryo's environment during the first few days of development enhances fetal growth disproportionately, in close association with increased abundance of the exchange epithelia in the placenta.

Fetal growth and development following temporary exposure of day 3 ovine embryos to an advanced uterine environment.

The effect of exposing Day 3 ovine embryos to an advanced uterine environment for a period of 3 days on subsequent fetal growth and development between Day 35 and Day 135 of gestation was studied. Day 3 embryos were recovered from superovulated donor ewes and transferred to synchronous final or asynchronous temporary recipients for 3 days. Embryos were recovered from these temporary recipients and transferred to Day 6 final recipients. Gravid uteri were recovered, weighed and dissected on Days 35, 45, 60, 90, 110, 125 and 135 of gestation. Fetal weight and length data were analysed by fitting non-linear Gompertz models of the form log(e) y = a - be(-ct), where y is fetal size and t is time from conception. Various terms including treatment, gestational age, embryo stage at transfer and fetal sex were fitted to this model. Fetal development was assessed by relating organ weight to fetal bodyweight using the linear allometric equation log(e) y = log(e) a + b log(e) x, where y is organ weight and x is fetal weight. Temporary exposure of Day 3 embryos to an advanced uterine environment did not increase the rate of embryo development and had no effect on fetal growth and development between Days 35 and 135 of gestation in this study. A single Gompertz model (log(e) y = 10.134 - 17.047e(-0.1733t)) explained 99.8% of the variation in fetal weight. Of terms fitted to this model only gestational age and fetal sex influenced fetal weight, with male fetuses being 5% heavier (P<0.05) than female fetuses. Fetal development was also unaffected by experimental treatment in this study. Allometric coefficients established for various fetal components agreed well with those from previously published studies.

What price information*

Information today may be envisaged as passing through a chain of hands from its point of origin to its point of use: as information originators and users have become more separate in place or time, various types of intermediaries have grown up to fill the gap between them. Online services involve several of the links in the chain and I want to consider the theme of this meeting, Concepts of marketing and pricing online services, from the point of view of one of them in particular, namely the search intermediary or library. This is the point at which many of the final recipients of the information, the end-users, currently meet the chain of information provision; it is where much of the marketing of information is done and where the users form their judgement of the utility of the various means of its provision, and it will probably remain so for some time to come in spite of the current interest in by-passing this link and selling to end-users direct. Although the paper's title mentions only the price of information, it is hardly possible to discuss price without considering also value and costs, since the perceived value of the information received will determine in large part what price the market will bear, while the costs of production and delivery will determine the minimum price which one must charge. I am particularly concerned with those fields which may be loosely lumped together as academic and public library information-science, medicine, the humanities and general. Here we have special problems with perceptions of the value of information and thus its marketing and pricing; in this paper I shall briefly consider these and the ways in which closer cooperation between libraries and the providers of the services we are selling may help to solve some of them.

Recipient contributions to serial passive transfer of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.

EAE can be adoptively transferred into normal recipients by the transfer of BP-specific EAE effector cells. After cell transfer, a series of ill-defined events occur in the recipient that culminate in the development of paralysis associated with neural tissue damage. We investigated the subsequent recipient response to the adoptively transferred disease and examined the role that recipient lymphocytes play in the development of adoptively transferred EAE. Recipient involvement was assessed by the transfer of EAE through a series of normal F1 animals as recipients and at the endpoint of the experiment, determining the MHC restriction pattern of the BP-sensitive cells present. The serial transfer of EAE from BP-CFA-sensitized LEW----(LEW X F-344)F1----(LEW X P2)F1, and from BP-CFA sensitized LEW----(LEW X F344)F1----(LEW X F-344)F1, resulted in the development of BP-sensitive cells in the spleens of the secondary recipients that were able to transfer disease into normal LEW recipients. To test directly for the development of host-derived BP-sensitive cells that might arise in the F1 animal, the serial transfer of EAE from LEW----(LEW X ACI)F1----(LEW X ACI)F1 was performed. When BP-sensitive cells obtained from the secondary (LEW X ACI)F1 recipient animal were transferred into either normal LEW and ACI, or irradiated LEW and ACI animals as final recipients, transfer of disease was successful only into the LEW parental. These results suggest that the development of passive EAE is due solely to the transferred BP-sensitive cells originating from the actively immunized donor, and that no host-derived lymphocytes are recruited into the pool of EAE effector precursor cells found in the spleen of animals after the development of adoptively transferred EAE.

The migration of lymphocytes across specialized vascular endothelium: VI. The migratory behaviour of thoracic duct lymphocytes retransferred from the lymph nodes, spleen, blood, or lymph of a primary recipient

Thoracic duct lymphocytes labelled with 51Cr were injected into a primary recipient and then were transferred for a second time from the lymph nodes (cervical and/or mesenteric), spleen, lymph, or blood into a series of final recipients. Measurement of the organ distribution of labelled lymphocytes in the final recipients enabled three main conclusions to be drawn. (1) Lymphocytes that had localized in the spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes (LN), or cervical LN of the first recipient showed no tendency to return in increased numbers to the same organ in the final recipient. (2) Lymphocytes that had recently entered the spleen or LN were temporarily impaired in their ability to reenter LN. This capacity was recharged when the cells returned to the lymph and the blood. (3) Lymphocytes that had been passaged from blood to lymph and collected for up to 4 hr at room temperature entered the LN of a recipient much faster than did nonpassaged thoracic duct lymphocytes collected overnight at 0 °C. Supplementary experiments indicated that the different migratory behavior of thoracic duct lymphocytes under these two circumstances was mainly a consequence of their handling in vitro during the collecting and the labelling procedures. This functional impairment was not associated with a diminished ability to enter the spleen and bone marrow or to survive in recipients for up to 24 hr.