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Expansion of the undifferentiated stem cell phenotype is one of the most challenging aspects in stem cell research. Clinical protocols for stem cell therapeutics will require standardization of defined culture conditions. A first step in the development of predictable and reproducible, scalable bioreactor processes is the development of mathematical growth models. This paper provides practical models for describing cell growth in general, which are particularly well suited for examining stem cell populations. The nonexponential kinetics of stem cells derive from proliferative heterogeneity, which is biologically recognized as mitosis, quiescence, senescence, differentiation, or death. Here, we examined the assumptions of the Sherley model, which describes heterogeneous expansion in the absence of cell loss. We next incorporated terms into the model to account for A) cell loss or apoptosis and B) cell differentiation. We conclude that the basic assumptions of the model are valid and a high correlation between the modified equations and experimental data obtained using muscle-derived stem cells was observed. Finally, we demonstrate an improved estimation of the kinetic parameters. This study contributes to both the biological and mathematical understanding of stem cell dynamics. Further, it is expected that the models will prove useful in establishing standardization of cell culture conditions and scalable systems and will be required to develop clinical protocols for stem cell therapeutics.

Previous sports impact reconstructions have highlighted the inadequacies in current measures to evaluate the effectiveness of personal protective equipment (PPE) and emphasised the need for improved impact surrogates that provide a more biofidelic representation of human impact response.\ud\udThe skin, muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissues were considered to constitute the structures primarily governing the mechanical behaviour of the human body segment. A preceding study by Payne et al. (in press) investigated the formulation and characterisation of muscle tissue simulants. The present study investigates the development of bespoke blends of additive cure polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) silicones to represent both skin and adipose tissues using the same processes previously reported. These simulants were characterised mechanically through a range of strain rates and a range of hyperelastic and viscoelastic constitutive models were evaluated to describe their behaviour.\ud\udTo explore the worth of the silicone simulants, finite element (FE) models were developed using anthropometric parameters representative of the human thigh segment, derived from the Visible Human Project. The multi-material silicone construction was validated experimentally and compared with both organic tissue data from literature and commonly used single material simulants: Dow Corning Silastic 3480 series silicones and ballistics gelatin when subject to a representative sports specific knee impact. Superior biofidelic performance is reported for the PDMS silicone formulations and surrogate predictions.

Established by the Metabolomics Society, 2014 saw the Early Members Network (EMN) celebrate its first birthday. Initially run by nine early career researchers, forming the EMN-committee, the official EMN mission was to recognize the value and importance of early career members, to ensure that their views are heard and acted upon, ultimately improving their experience of metabolomics science and the community as a whole (Putri 2014). Dedicated to all Metabolomics Society members who are within 5 years of completing their higher degrees, the EMN has started to make significant strides to achieve its vision to establish a real sense of community and engagement between early career researchers globally through leading initiative and enthusiastic appearance. Past activities of 2014

A transformation/regeneration system was developed for the common garden Lobelia (Lobelia erinus). Using an Agrobacterium-based protocol, over 40 transformants have been generated with four different binary vectors. The explant source was hypocotyl-root sections from axenically grown seedlings. Stable transformation was demonstrated by Southern hybridization analysis, β-glucuronidase staining, and transmission of the T-DNA to progeny. This extends the ever-widening range of transformable plant species to the Campanulaceae and will allow molecular studies of development and physiology in this easily cultured and popular garden plant.

With the expanding costs of providing a reliable facility infrastructure, eliminating single points of failure and achieving Tier 3 or 4 status in the datacenter, alternate approaches must be considered. This paper will discuss and present an integration of facility infrastructure and IT communications within different Tier classes of datacenters to provide a cost savings solution for the development of datacenters while still maintaining operational readiness.

i a f e t uestion: Over last New Year’s oliday, the U.S. Department of nergy dispatched casually dressed uclear scientists with sophisticated adiation detection equipment to ook for radiation “dirty” bombs 1] in at least 10 major cities and irports [2]. With increased radiaion surveillance, will patients who ave received permanent brachyherapy implants (I or Pd rostate seeds) or nuclear medicine adiopharmaceuticals be stopped or questioning? If so, what should or an be done to help these patients? Answer: Yes. Patients who have edical procedures that make hem radioactive should be given D cards that describe the nature of he radioactive procedures. At our ospital, we use laminated wallet ards as well as information sheets o document radioactive proceures. Figure 1 displays an example f a wallet card that is given to prosate implant patients. These cards an be printed using a color printer nd laminated using clear packing ape or a lamination machine.

Recent developments have permitted accurate seed placement and dosimetry for interstitial brachytherapy of selected patients with localized prostate cancer. We present our experience with 76 patients divided into 2 groups. Group 1 included 45 patients with smaller, more well differentiated tumors, usually less than 2 cm. in diameter on digital rectal examination or transrectal ultrasound and a Gleason score of less than 7 who were treated with 125 iodine alone. Group 2 consisted of 31 patients with localized tumors greater than 2 cm. in diameter and/or a Gleason sum equal to or greater than 7 who were treated with low dose external beam radiation followed by 125 iodine boost 4 weeks later. Complete clinical progression-free survival, including prostate specific antigen, digital rectal examination and biopsy, was 51% for group 1 and 63.3% for group 2, with a mean followup of 26.3 months. Prostate specific antigen progression-free survival was 97.7% for group 1 and 94.7% for group 2.These results ap...

Introduction Part I: The Convergent Experience: Viewing Practices Across Media Forms 1. Media Interfaces, Networked Media Spaces, and the Mass Customization of Everyday Space, Daniel Chamberlain 2. "It's Just Like a Mini-Mall": Textuality and Participatory Culture on YouTube, David Gurney 3. TiVoing Childhood: Time-Shifting a Generation's Concept of Television, Jason Mittell 4. Affective Convergence in Reality Television: A Case Study in Divergence Culture, Jack Bratich 5. Industry Convergence Shows: Reality TV and the Leisure Franchise, Misha Kavka Part II: Creating Authors / Creating Audiences 6. More "Moments of Television": Online Cult Television Authorship, Derek Kompare 7. The Reviews Are In: TV Critics and the (Pre)Creation of Meaning, Jonathan Gray 8. "Word of Mouth on Steroids": Hailing the Millennial Media Fan, Louisa Ellen Stein 9. Masters of Horror: TV Auteurism and the Progressive Potential of a Disreputable Genre, Heather Hendershot 10. 49 Up: Television, "Life-Time," and the Mediated Self, John Corner Part III: Technologies of Citizenship: Politics, Nationality, and Contemporary Television 11. Television/television, Hector Amaya 12. The Limits of the Cellular Imaginary, Eric Freedman 13. Extreme Makeover: Iraq Edition -- "TV Freedom" and Other Experiments for "Advancing" Liberal Government in Iraq, James Hay 14. Representing the Presidency: Viral Videos, Intertextuality, and Political Participation, Chuck Tryon 15. NASCAR Nation and Television: Race-ing Whiteness, L.S. Kim

Injectable biomaterials have been recently investigated as a therapeutic approach for cardiac repair. Porcine-derived small intestinal submucosa (SIS) material is currently used in the clinic to promote accelerated wound healing for a variety of disorders. In this study, we hypothesized that gels derived from SIS extracellular matrix would be advantageous as an injectable material for cardiac repair. We evaluated 2 forms of SIS gel, types B (SIS-B) and C (SIS-C), for their ability to provide a therapeutic effect when injected directly into ischemic myocardium using a murine model of an acute myocardial infarction. Echocardiography analysis at both 2 and 6 weeks after infarction demonstrated preservation of end-systolic left ventricular geometry and improvement of cardiac contractility in the hearts injected with SIS-B when compared with control hearts injected with saline. However, the SIS-C gel provided no functional efficacy in comparison with control. Histological analysis revealed that SIS-B reduced infarct size and induced angiogenesis relative to control, whereas injection of SIS-C had minimal effect on these histological parameters. Characterization of both gels revealed differential growth factor content with SIS-B exhibiting higher levels of basic fibroblast growth factor than SIS-C, which may explain, at least in part, the differential histological and functional results. This study suggests that SIS gel offers therapeutic potential as an injectable material for the repair of ischemic myocardium. Further understanding of SIS gel characteristics, such as biological and physical properties, that are critical determinants of efficacy would be important for optimization of this biomaterial for cardiac repair.

Hospitals can take three steps to ensure successful integration of clinical documentation with an electronic medical record: Engage physicians and make sure they understand the process. Make the process simple for physicians to use. Train registered nurse documentation specialists to request documentation clarifications.

Foreword Ian Bogost Introduction Nina B. Huntemann and Matthew Thomas Payne Section 1: Historicizing the Joystick Soldier 1. Living Room Wars: Remediation, Boardgames, and the Early History of Video Wargaming Sebastian Deterding 2. Target Acquired: America's Army and the Video Games Industry Randy Nichols 3. Training Recruits and Conditioning Youth: The Soft Power of Military Games David B. Nieborg Interview with James F. Dunnigan edited by Nina B. Huntemann and Matthew Thomas Payne Section 2: Representing War 4. Behind the Barrel: Reading the Video Game Gun Scott A. Lukas 5. War Games as a New Frontier: Securing American Empire in Virtual Space C. Richard King and David. J. Leonard 6. Future Combat, Combating Futures: Temporalities of War Video Games and the Performance of Proleptic Histories Josh Smicker Interview with Rachel Hardwick edited by Matthew Thomas Payne Section 3: Producing Pedagogical War 7. Mobilizing Affect: The Politics of Performative Realism in Military New Media Dan Leopard 8. A Battle in Every Classroom: Gaming in the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College Jeffrey Leser and James Sterrett 9. A Battle for Hearts and Minds: The Design Politics of ELECT BiLat Elizabeth Losh Interview with Colonel Casey Wardynski edited by Nina B. Huntemann Section 4: Playing War 10. "No Better Way to 'Experience' World War II": Authenticity and Ideology in the Call of Duty and Medal of Honor Player Communities Joel Penney 11. "F*ck You, Noob Tube!": Learning the Art of Ludic LAN War Mathew Thomas Payne 12. Playing with Fear: Catharsis and Resistance in Military-Themed Video Games Nina B. Huntemann Section 5: Resisting War 13. Playing Against the Grain: Machinima and Military Gaming Irene Chien 14. "Turn the game console off right now!": War, Subjectivity, and Control in Metal Gear Solid 2, Tanner Higgin 15. Dead-in-Iraq: The Spatial Politics of Digital Game Art Activism and the In-Game Protest Dean Chan. Gameography. List of Contributors. Index

This chapter introduces and operationalizes an innovative interpretive strategy called “existential ludology” to explain how the game-play mechanics of two tactical shooter video games?America’s Army: Rise of a Soldier (Microsoft’s Xbox) and Full Spectrum Warrior (Sony’s PlayStation 2)?educate gamers on how to play militarily. These titles, both produced in part by the U.S. Department of Defense, engender strict, doctrinal learning opportunities by embedding official combat protocols into their game-play structures. By employing existential ludology as an interpretive tool we can understand these military-backed games from an experiential, player-centric perspective, while also recognizing how their seemingly innocuous game-play is located within, and linked to, larger networks of power. Moreover, existential ludology’s flexibility as an interpretive instrument encourages educators to recognize the educational affordances of popular video games so that they might adopt these popular media artifacts for their own pedagogical ends.

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of human skeletal muscle-derived myoendothelial cells for myocardial infarct repair.Background We have recently identified and purified a novel population of myoendothelial cells from human skeletal muscle. These cells coexpress myogenic and endothelial cell markers and produce robust muscle regeneration when injected into cardiotoxin-injured skeletal muscle.Methods Myoendothelial cells were isolated from biopsies of human skeletal muscle using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter along with populations of regular myoblasts and endothelial cells. Acute myocardial infarction was induced in male immune-deficient mice, and cells were directly injected into the ischemic area. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography, and donor cell engraftment, angiogenesis, scar tissue, endogenous cardiomyocyte proliferation, and apoptosis were all evaluated by immunohistochemistry.Results A greater improvement in left ventricular function was observed after intramyocardial injection of myoendothelial cells when compared with that seen in hearts injected with myoblast or endothelial cells. Transplanted myoendothelial cells generated robust engraftments within the infarcted myocardium, and also stimulated angiogenesis, attenuation of scar tissue, and proliferation and survival of endogenous cardiomyocytes more effectively than transplanted myoblasts or endothelial cells.Conclusions Our findings suggest that myoendothelial cells represent a novel cell population from human skeletal muscle that may hold promise for cardiac repair. (J Am Coll Cardiol 2008; 52: 1869-80) (c) 2008 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation

Clinical trials are important for the advancement of medical research. Despite of the benefits clinical trial enrollment is low. We study the feasibility of using NLP to assist with automatic eligibility screening by extracting medical diagnoses from the inclusion and exclusion criteria of cancer clinical trial announcements posted on the internet. We compare the performances of the system versus an oncologist.

We assess dose and image quality of a state-of-the-art angiographic C-arm system (Axiom Artis dTA, Siemens Medical Solutions, Forchheim, Germany) for three-dimensional neuro-imaging at various dose levels and tube voltages and an associated measurement method. Unlike conventional CT, the beam length covers the entire phantom, hence, the concept of computed tomography dose index (CTDI) is not the metric of choice, and one can revert to conventional dosimetry methods by directly measuring the dose at various points using a small ion chamber. This method allows us to define and compute a new dose metric that is appropriate for a direct comparison with the familiar CTDIw of conventional CT. A perception study involving the CATPHAN 600 indicates that one can expect to see at least the 9 mm inset with 0.5% nominal contrast at the recommended head-scan dose (60 mGy) when using tube voltages ranging from 70 kVp to 125 kVp. When analyzing the impact of tube voltage on image quality at a fixed dose, we found that lower tube voltages gave improved low contrast detectability for small-diameter objects. The relationships between kVp, image noise, dose, and contrast perception are discussed.

Objectives We investigated whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was associated with the angiogenic and therapeutic effects induced after transplantation of skeletal muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) into a myocardial infarction (MI). Background Because very few MDSCs were found to differentiate into new blood vessels when injected into the heart, the mechanism underlying the occurrence of angiogenesis after MDSC transplantation is currently unknown. In the present study, we used a gain- or loss-of-VEGF function approach with skeletal MDSCs engineered to express VEGF or soluble Flt1, a VEGF-specific antagonist, to identify the involvement of VEGF in MDSC transplantation-induced neoangiogenesis. Methods Vascular endothelial growth factor- and soluble Flt1-engineered MDSCs were injected into an acute MI. Angiogenesis and cardiac function were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and echocardiography. Results Both control and VEGF-overexpressing MDSCs induced angiogenesis, prevented adverse cardiac remodeling, and improved function compared with saline-injected hearts. However, these therapeutic effects were diminished in hearts transplanted with MDSCs expressing soluble Flt1 despite successful cell engraftment. In vitro experiments demonstrated that MDSCs increased secretion of VEGF in response to hypoxia and cyclic stretch (likely conditions in ischemic hearts), suggesting that transplanted MDSCs release VEGF in vivo. Conclusions Our findings suggest that VEGF is essential for the induction of angiogenesis and functional improvements observed after MDSC transplantation for infarct repair.

ObjectiveTo determine if glucocerebrosidase 1 deficiency is a susceptibility factor to 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) toxicity using a zebrafish model.Background and hypothesisHeterozygous mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA1) are a strong genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). Genetic risk factors may increase susceptibility to exogenous neurotoxins. We hypothesized GBA1 haploinsufficiency may increase susceptibility to the classical PD neurotoxin MPTP.MethodsA stable gba1+/− zebrafish line was in-crossed to generate embryos of all genotypes. At 2 days post fertilization (dpf), 100 dechorionated embryos (and 100 controls) were separated into 6 well plates, and exposed to 3 mM MPP+. At 3dpf embryos were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde. Whole mount in-situ hybridisation was performed using a tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) probe. Embryos were genotyped for gba1 by PCR. TH positive neurons were counted in 10 embryos of each genotype under 20x microscopy.ResultsMPP+ embryos exhibited approximately 25% reduction in TH neurons compared to controls with no differences between genotypes.ConclusionMPP+ exposure results in a loss of TH positive neurons. GBA1 deficiency does not potentiate this. We provide “proof of principle” data for the usefulness of PD mutant zebrafish strains to test possible interactions between PD genetic risk factors and relevant toxins.

Designed for those beginning to study linguistics, this is a lively introduction to two key aspects of the structure of language: syntax (the structure of sentences) and morphology (the structure of words). It shows students in a step-by-step fashion how to analyze the syntax and morphology of any language, by clearly describing the basic methods and techniques, and providing almost 100 practical exercises based on data from a rich variety of the world's languages. Written in an engaging style and complete with a comprehensive glossary, Exploring Language Structure explains linguistic concepts by using clear analogies from everyday life. It introduces a range of essential topics in syntax and morphology, such as rules, categories, word classes, grammatical relations, multi-clause constructions and typology. Providing a solid foundation in morphology and syntax, this is the perfect introductory text for beginning students, and will fully prepare them for more advanced courses in linguistic analysis.

Image quality is proportional to radiation dose. Improvements in image quality come at a cost of increased radiation dose. CT scanners are more robust today than even 5 years ago. X-ray tubes are capable of producing high levels of almost continuous radiation for rapid CT volume acquisitions and angiographic studies. All parameters of modern CT scanners provide rapid subsecond, large-volume CT acquisitions. How high we go needs to be tempered by how high we should go regarding radiation dose from CT examinations. Radiologists, referring physicians, medical physicists, CT technologists, CT equipment manufacturers, and regulators need to evaluate the appropriateness of radiation dose for different CT studies.

Background Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized by vascular endothelial cells in vivo from l -arginine by nitric oxide synthases (NOS). Initial events in the onset of atherosclerosis lead to endothelial dysfunction and subsequent decrease of endogenous NO. Within the vasculature NO inhibits smooth muscle cell proliferation (SMC), therefore decreased concentrations lead to rapid SMC division, a key event in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Reestablishing physiological levels exogenously with NO-donors, aims to stop uncontrolled SMC proliferation and the progression of atherosclerosis. However current NO donors rapidly release NO in highly concentrated, single bursts, leading to cellular oxidative stress. In contrast, N-nitroso (N–NO) NO donors synthesized in our lab through the nitrosation of secondary amines, release NO in a slow, sustained manner, establishing and maintaining low NO concentrations that effectively reduce SMC proliferation, without onset of oxidative stress.Additionally, NOS competes for l -arginine with arginase, which catalyzes its conversion to l -ornithine, the precursor to various polyamines-known stimulators of SMC proliferation. Arginase inhibition would reduce SMC proliferation by decreasing l -ornithine concentrations and providing increased l -arginine for endogenous NO production. Combining arginase inhibition with NO-donor application may prevent SMC proliferation more effectively than either method individually, and may have a synergistic effect. Methods Two isomeric families of NO-donors, prepared in our laboratory, were applied to SMC cultures at various concentrations. Each secondary amine precursor was also tested for any toxic or anti-proliferative effects. Likewise the potent arginase inhibitor, ABH was tested to determine the most effective concentration for proliferation reduction. Finally, optimized concentrations of NO-donors and ABH were added in tandem. Proliferation and toxicity were monitored using a cell viability and LIVE/DEAD assay. A third assay was implemented to monitor changes in intracellular NO concentrations due to the addition of each compound. Results Cellular viability assays showed eight of ten amines exerted no toxic or anti-proliferative effects in the range tested (0.1–20 μM), nor did they increase intracellular NO concentrations. These compounds were nitrosated and tested in same concentration range. All donors exhibited proliferation inhibition without inducing cell death between 5% and 20 μM in a concentration dependent manner. At 20 μM, the decrease in viable cells ranged from 5% to 22%. Likewise, ABH decreased the number of viable cells in a concentration dependent manner from 0.001 to 5.0 mM by 9.9–30.0%, respectively. Both the NO-donors and ABH increased intracellular NO with increasing concentrations. Finally, the most effective NO-donor from each family (20 μM) in combination with ABH (5 mM) inhibited SMC proliferation in a synergistic manner, reducing the number of viable cells by an additional 2% and 16% compared to the sum of individual components alone. These results were supported by the synergistic increase of intracellular NO. Conclusion Inhibition of SMC proliferation after endothelial dysfunction could slow down the establishment of arterial plaques, reducing the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis. Reestablishing NO concentrations both exogenously with NO-donors and endogenously by arginase inhibition with ABH simultaneously has shown to more effectively reduce SMC proliferation than either method individually, while avoiding onset of oxidative stress. Disclosure NIH, Award # R15HL 106600.

The ACR CT accreditation program, begun in 2002, requires the submission of approximately 20 images, several completed data sheets and printouts of three Excel worksheets. The procedure manual is very detailed, yet participants unfamiliar with the program or having minimal CT experience have needed to redo aspects of their submission, or in some cases do not receive accreditation, due to mistakes made by the physicist. This review of the phantom portion of the ACR CT accreditation program supplements the ACR provided instructions with additional photos of phantom setup, region-of-interest (ROI), and image placement on the film sheets, and examples of completed portions of actual (but anonymous) submissions. Common mistakes, as well as uncommon but interesting images, are shown and explanations are given as to what could have been done to avoid the problem. Additionally, a review of CT dose measurement techniques and calculations will enable the physicist to better assist sites where typical exam doses are above the ACR reference values.

GLABRA3 (GL3) encodes a bHLH protein that interacts with the WD repeat protein, TTG1. GL3 overexpression suppresses the trichome defect of the pleiotropic ttg1 mutations. However, single gl3mutations only affect the trichome pathway with a modest trichome number reduction. A novel unlinked bHLH-encoding locus is described here, ENHANCER OF GLABRA3 (EGL3). When mutated, egl3gives totally glabrous plants only in the gl3 mutant background. The double bHLH mutant, gl3 egl3, has a pleiotropic phenotype like ttg1 having defective anthocyanin production, seed coat mucilage production, and position-dependent root hair spacing. Furthermore, the triple bHLH mutant, gl3 egl3 tt8, phenocopies the ttg1 mutation. Yeast two-hybrid and plant overexpression studies show that EGL3, like GL3,interacts with TTG1, the myb proteins GL1, PAP1 and 2, CPC and TRY, and it will form heterodimers with GL3. These results suggest a combinatorial model for TTG1-dependent pathway regulation by this trio of partially functionally redundant bHLH proteins.

The use of stem cells in cell-mediated therapies or cell transplantation applications will require a controlled, scalable system for expansion of the cells and for control of cellular differentiation. Modeling stem cell population growth is one step towards developing such a system. Stem cell populations are heterogeneous and include cells which are non-mitotic. In particular, stem cells may be quiescent or mitotically active. The mitotically-active cells may 1) self-renew to give rise to similar cells, or 2) divide asymmetrically to give rise to precursor cells (which become may terminally differentiated). Cell populations also may include non-mitotic cells which are apoptotic. Non-exponential growth of the stem cell population is the result of the non-mitotic fraction. In this study, we extend a non-exponential model to incorporate parameters describing the non-dividing population. In particular, the models incorporate terms to account for 1) cell loss due to apoptosis or necrosis and 2) the non-dividing differentiated state of a cell. Murine muscle-derived stem cells (MDSC) will be used to experimentally test the model assumptions and determine the goodness of fit of the models using nonlinear regression. This analysis illustrates the dynamics of proliferation in stem cell populations where cells are undergoing both self-renewal and differentiation.

Cell transplantation is a potential therapy for patients suffering from congestive heart failure. Many cell types have been experimentally tested for their ability to improve cardiac function. In this review, we discuss the potential of cell transplantation into the heart using various cell sources and introduce an attractive new cell source: Muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) are capable of delivering therapeutic genes and potentially differentiating toward a cardiomyocyte lineage within an injected heart. MDSCs are an attractive, alternate cell source because in addition to being multipotent (i.e., capable of differentiating into various lineages), they are easily accessible via simple biopsy of the patient's own muscle. This review will describe the isolation and unique characteristics of MDSCs and outline their potential use in regenerative medicine.

Introduction Plasmapheresis has been shown in a randomised clinical trial (RCT) to be effective in treating corticosteroid-refractory central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory diseases. Data from our centre was compared with the published trial. Methods A retrospective case note review of patients with CNS inflammatory diseases receiving plasmapheresis was performed. Power and gait scores from Weinshenker et al . (1999) and decimal visual acuity were recorded. Results Data from 25 patients (optic neuritis=7, multiple sclerosis=12, neuromyelitis optica=4, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis=1, transverse myelitis=1) was reviewed. For the optic neuritis patients the mean visual acuity of the worse affected eye improved from 0.061 to 0.264 (p=0.157), equivalent to a change from approximately 6/100 to 6/24. For patients with a motor deficit, the mean power score improved from 5.78 to 4.78 (p=0.0218) and the mean gait score improved from 7.78 to 6.78 (p=0.0218). The mean motor improvement was from being wheelchair dependent to being able to walk a few steps with bilateral assistance. No benefit was observed if plasmapheresis commenced more than 82.7 days after onset of symptoms. No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusions Benefits in line with the results of the RCT have been detected supporting the use of plasmapheresis in these diseases.

▪ Abstract Seed development requires coordinated expression of embryo and endosperm and has contributions from both sporophytic and male and female gametophytic genes. Genetic and molecular analyses in recent years have started to illuminate how products of these multiple genes interact to initiate seed development. Imprinting or differential expression of paternal and maternal genes seems to be involved in controlling seed development, presumably by controlling gene expression in developing endosperm. Epigenetic processes such as chromatin remodeling and DNA methylation affect imprinting of key seed-specific genes; however, the identity of many of these genes remains unknown. The discovery of FIS genes has illuminated control of autonomous endosperm development, a component of apomixis, which is an important developmental and agronomic trait. FIS genes are targets of imprinting, and the genes they control in developing endosperm are also regulated by DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling genes. These results define some exciting future areas of research in seed development.

In the next 20 years, it is estimated that global wheat production must increase by 40% to meet the ever increasing demand. “Increasing the intensity of production in those ecosystems that lend themselves to sustainable intensification, while decreasing intensity of production in the more fragile ecosystems” may be the only way for agriculture to keep pace with population (Borlaug and Dowswell, 1997). Hence, a greater reliance on maximizing production efficiency, or grain yield potential (GYP), under various agro-ecological scenarios will be required. Environmental, cultural, and political sustainability will define the focus of our research agenda. CIMMYT aims to contribute to this effort by protecting past achievements in yield potential and adaptation through continuing an aggressive program of incorporating resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. This strategy capitalizes on newer empirical methods, advances in information technology, morphological and physiological markers, broadening the genetic resource base and the use of emerging biotechnologies. To date, high rates of progress in raising GYP have been achieved in spring durum and bread wheats.