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With growing populations and pressing environmental problems, future economies will be increasingly plant-based. Now is the time to reimagine plant science as a critical component of fundamental science, agriculture, environmental stewardship, energy, technology and healthcare. This effort requires a conceptual and technological framework to identify and map all cell types, and to comprehensively annotate the localization and organization of molecules at cellular and tissue levels. This framework, called the Plant Cell Atlas (PCA), will be critical for understanding and engineering plant development, physiology and environmental responses. A workshop was convened to discuss the purpose and utility of such an initiative, resulting in a roadmap that acknowledges the current knowledge gaps and technical challenges, and underscores how the PCA initiative can help to overcome them.

Plant dispersal mechanisms rely on anatomical and morphological adaptations for the use of physical or biological dispersal vectors. Recently, studies of interactions between the dispersal unit and physical environment have uncovered fluid dynamic mechanisms of seed flight, protective measures against fire, and release mechanisms of explosive dispersers. Although environmental conditions generally dictate dispersal distances, plants are not purely passive players in these processes. Evidence suggests that some plants may enact informed dispersal, where dispersal-related traits are modified according to the environment. This can occur via developmental regulation, but also on shorter timescales via structural remodelling in relation to water availability and temperature. Linking interactions between dispersal mechanisms and environmental conditions will be essential to fully understand population dynamics and distributions.

Yasushi Matsuzawa,1 Kiyoshi Hibi,1 Kenichiro Saka,1 Masaaki Konishi,1 Eiichi Akiyama,1 Naoki Nakayama,1 Toshiaki Ebina,1 Masami Kosuge,1 Noriaki Iwahashi,1 Nobuhiko Maejima,1 Kouichi Tamura,2 Kazuo Kimura1 1Division of Cardiology, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan; 2Department of Medical Science and Cardiorenal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan Background: Thinning of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic plaque is a major component of plaque vulnerability. The high resolution of optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides an accurate measurement of fibrous-cap thickness. Endothelial dysfunction is associated with inflammation and enhanced local expression of matrix metalloproteinases. We investigated the association between endothelial dysfunction and OCT-derived thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods: Seventy-four patients with ACS, who underwent both OCT examinations of the culprit lesion before percutaneous coronary intervention and peripheral endothelial function assessment as assessed by logarithmic value of reactive hyperemia index (Ln_RHI), were enrolled. Age-, sex-, hypertension-, and diabetes-matched non-coronary artery disease (non-CAD) patients were also enrolled (n=15). Results: Ln_RHI levels were significantly lower in ACS patients compared with non-CAD patients (0.56±0.26 vs 0.74±0.22, P=0.01). Furthermore, the Ln_RHIs of ACS patients with TCFA (n=44) were significantly lower than those of ACS patients without TCFA (n=30) (0.50±0.24 vs 0.65±0.26, P=0.01). There was a weak but significant positive correlation between Ln_RHI and fibrous-cap thickness (Spearman’s ρ=0.25, P=0.03). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified lower Ln_RHI as an independent factor associated with TCFA in ACS patients (OR per 0.1 increase in Ln_RHI: 0.78 [95% CI: 0.62–0.98], P=0.03). Conclusion: Advanced endothelial dysfunction significantly correlates with a thin fibrous cap of coronary plaques in patients with ACS. Keywords: peripheral endothelial function, optical coherence tomography, thin-cap fibroatheroma, plaque vulnerability

Imaging the early development of seeds&nbsp

We performed an angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of Si-doped $��$-Ga$_2$O$_3$. We observed very small photoemission intensity near the Fermi level corresponding to non-dispersive states assigned to Si impurities. We show evidence for a quantization of these states that is accompanied by a confinement in the momentum space consistent with a real-space finite confinement observed in a previous scanning tunneling microscopy study. Our results suggest that this semi-localization in the conjugate spaces plays a crucial role in the electronic conduction of this material., 4 pages, 4 figures. Copyright (2012) American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics. The following article appeared in Applied Physics Letters and may be found at http://apl.aip.org/resource/1/applab/v101/i23/p232105_s1

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neuropsychologic deficits are well-known sequelae of traumatic brain injury. However, the cerebral correlates of these deficits are still unclear. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the regions of cerebral dysfunction correlated with such neuropsychologic deficits after traumatic brain injury. METHODS: Sets of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose–positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET) images in the resting state were obtained from 12 patients with neuropsychologic deficits after diffuse axonal injury and from 32 healthy volunteers. The cortical metabolic activity of each subject’s PET image sets was extracted using 3D stereotactic surface projection (3D-SSP). A “normal” data base was created using the extracted datasets of the healthy subjects. The patients’ datasets were compared with the normal data base by calculating a statistical Z-score on a pixel-by-pixel basis in searches for focal metabolic abnormalities. RESULTS: Group comparisons revealed hypometabolism in the cingulate gyrus with additional involvement of the lingual gyrus and cuneus. Individual case-by-case analyses disclosed differences in the site and extent of the hypometabolism in the cingulate gyrus of each case. Predominant hypometabolism was found in the anterior cingulate gyrus of 6 patients, the middle cingulate gyrus of 2 patients, and the posterior cingulate gyrus of 4 patients. CONCLUSION: Interpretation of FDG-PET using 3D-SSP facilitates the identification of regional hypometabolism in the cerebral cortex of patients after diffuse axonal injury. Dysfunction of the cingulate gyrus, lingual gyrus, and cuneus may play a crucial role in neuropsychologic deficits after traumatic brain injury.

A new valve controlled system for continuous ventricular drainage has been described. The clinical experiences (114 patients) are very satisfactory, even after a drainage duration of 15 days. The main advantages of the method are the resistance of all connexions against traction, the fixed position of the ventricular catheter, the variable opening pressure of the valve and the insensitivity to air or gas bubbles, at last the protection of the valve against blood and protein clots by use of filters. We have used the system for the continuous monitoring of the ICP and for diagnostic purposes (ventriculography, examination of cerebrospinal fluid) with good results.

Magnification angiography under hypocapnia and hypertension was carried out on patients with cerebral tumor and cerebral infarct. Thereby the inversesteal-syndrome could be demonstrated optimally. By this examination method the extent of the tumor is exactly visualised, and multiple tumors are outlined. The value for the differential diagnosis of cerebral tumors or cerebral infarcts is emphasized. A blush is no longer demonstrable by magnification angiography under hypocapnia and hypertension.

閉塞性動脈硬化症では臨床的には四肢の動脈病変が中心となることが多く, 局所病変にのみとらわれがちであるが, その動脈硬化性病変は全身の臓器血管にも及ぶことが多いとされ, そのため予後はよくないと考えられる.著者らは過去10年間に東大第1外科および東京都養育院で扱った268例の閉塞性動脈硬化症患者について血圧, 心電図, 腎機能, 胸部, 腹部レントゲン撮影などの検査所見とさらに手術所見, 剖検所見を中心に閉塞性動脈硬化症の臓器血管合併症を考察し, 以下の知見を得た.1) 全例中高血圧症が7割, 高コレステロール血症が4割と多く, これらと閉塞性動脈硬化症との密接な関係が示唆された.2) 心電図異常, 眼底動脈硬化, 腎機能障害など脳・冠・腎動脈障害をきたしたものが129例 (48%) であり, 合併症としては臓器血管合併症が多く, 脳血管障害, 心筋硬塞, 動脈瘤, 腎機能障害, 狭心症など動脈硬化性病変が主因と考えられる疾患が多かった.3) 死因としては脳・冠・腎動脈障害によるものが65%を占め, とくに心筋硬塞21%, 脳血管障害19%と重篤な臓器血管合併症が直接死因とつながり予後を悪くしているようであった.4) 剖検例中の13例について考察した結果, 全例とも大動脈, 脳・冠・腎動脈に中等度から高度の硬化像を認め, 時に全身の臓器血管にも広範な粥状変性を起こし, 血栓閉塞のみられるものもあった.

A cDNA cloning vector that allows expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been developed using the plasmid primer approach described by Okayama and Berg [Mol. Cell. Biol. 2:161-170(1982)]. The vector contains ARS1 and TRP1 for plasmid maintenance in yeast and the ADC1 or GAL1 promoter and the TRP5 terminator for expression of the cloned cDNA. Using this system, several recombinants with nearly full-length GAL1 cDNA inserts in a cDNA library made with galactose-induced yeast mRNA were identified. By measurement of galactokinase mRNA and its protein, the expression of GAL1 cDNA was shown to be under the control of the promoter placed upstream of the cDNA insert. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the 3'-ends of the GAL1 cDNA inserts were not unique, indicating that polyA tails were added to GAL1 transcripts at multiple sites in the GAL1 gene. Genetic complementation of appropriate yeast mutants permitted the isolation of clones containing the coding sequences for GAL1, HIS3, and LEU2 from the same cDNA library.

With growing populations and pressing environmental problems, future economies will be increasingly plant-based. Now is the time to reimagine plant science as a critical component of fundamental science, agriculture, environmental stewardship, energy, technology and healthcare. This effort requires a conceptual and technological framework to identify and map all cell types, and to comprehensively annotate the localization and organization of molecules at cellular and tissue levels. This framework, called the Plant Cell Atlas (PCA), will be critical for understanding and engineering plant development, physiology and environmental responses. A workshop was convened to discuss the purpose and utility of such an initiative, resulting in a roadmap that acknowledges the current knowledge gaps and technical challenges, and underscores how the PCA initiative can help to overcome them., National Science Foundation 1916797 David W Ehrhardt, Kenneth D Birnbaum, Seung Yon Rhee; National Science Foundation 2052590 Seung Yon Rhee

O presente estudo pretende analisar o preenchimento do sujeito lexical na fala fílmica à luz da mudança linguística que está afetando o PB que de Língua Pro-Drop se está transformando em Língua Semi-Pro-Drop. A análise foi realizada num corpus de dez filmes produzidos nas últimas duas décadas, todos ambientados quase exclusivamente na cidade do Rio de Janeiro e foi conduzida, pela tipologia ficcional do corpus, sobre as pessoas gramaticais que se referem ao locutor e ao interlocutor, ou seja à primeira e à segunda pessoa do singular e do plural, especificamente: EU, TU/VOCÊ, NÓS, A GENTE, VOCÊS.