A dual function of the IDA peptide in regulating cell separation and modulating plant immunity at the molecular level.

The abscission of floral organs and emergence of lateral roots in Arabidopsis is regulated by the peptide ligand inflorescence deficient in abscission (IDA) and the receptor protein kinases HAESA (HAE) and HAESA-like 2 (HSL2). During these cell separation processes, the plant induces defense-associated genes to protect against pathogen invasion. However, the molecular coordination between abscission and immunity has not been thoroughly explored. Here, we show that IDA induces a release of cytosolic calcium ions (Ca2+) and apoplastic production of reactive oxygen species, which are signatures of early defense responses. In addition, we find that IDA promotes late defense responses by the transcriptional upregulation of genes known to be involved in immunity. When comparing the IDA induced early immune responses to known immune responses, such as those elicited by flagellin22 treatment, we observe both similarities and differences. We propose a molecular mechanism by which IDA promotes signatures of an immune response in cells destined for separation to guard them from pathogen attack.

The Arabidopsis SHORTROOT network coordinates shoot apical meristem development with auxin-dependent lateral organ initiation.

Plants produce new organs post-embryonically throughout their entire life cycle. This is due to stem cells present in the shoot and root apical meristems, the SAM and RAM, respectively. In the SAM, stem cells are located in the central zone where they divide slowly. Stem cell daughters are displaced laterally and enter the peripheral zone, where their mitotic activity increases and lateral organ primordia are formed. How the spatial arrangement of these different domains is initiated and controlled during SAM growth and development, and how sites of lateral organ primordia are determined in the peripheral zone is not yet completely understood. We found that the SHORTROOT (SHR) transcription factor together with its target transcription factors SCARECROW (SCR), SCARECROW-LIKE23 (SCL23) and JACKDAW (JKD), promotes formation of lateral organs and controls shoot meristem size. SHR, SCR, SCL23, and JKD are expressed in distinct, but partially overlapping patterns in the SAM. They can physically interact and activate expression of key cell cycle regulators such as CYCLIND6;1 (CYCD6;1) to promote the formation of new cell layers. In the peripheral zone, auxin accumulates at sites of lateral organ primordia initiation and activates SHR expression via the auxin response factor MONOPTEROS (MP) and auxin response elements in the SHR promoter. In the central zone, the SHR-target SCL23 physically interacts with the key stem cell regulator WUSCHEL (WUS) to promote stem cell fate. Both SCL23 and WUS expression are subject to negative feedback regulation from stem cells through the CLAVATA signaling pathway. Together, our findings illustrate how SHR-dependent transcription factor complexes act in different domains of the shoot meristem to mediate cell division and auxin dependent organ initiation in the peripheral zone, and coordinate this activity with stem cell maintenance in the central zone of the SAM.

Investigations on the donor limb after harvest of lymphatic vessels for lymphedema surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Microsurgical lymphatic vessel transplantation is one of the well-established therapies for lymphedema. Lymphatic vessels are harvested from a healthy thigh and transplanted into lymphedematous limbs to create a lymphatic bypass. Its benefit on lymphatic drainage has already been proven. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effect on the lymphatic function of the donor site has not yet been studied. Our aim was to evaluate the long-term postoperative lymphatic function in the donor site by clinical and scintigraphic examinations and a patient questionnaire. METHODS: A consecutive series of 25 women (mean age, 57.2 years) who had undergone follow-up after lymph vessel transplantation to treat secondary lymphedema of the arm comprised the study group. Lymphatic vessel function of the donor site was evaluated by circumferential measurements of the limb and, in nine cases, by lymphatic scintigraphy. Additionally, a questionnaire was used to assess the patients' pre- and postoperative complaints for the donor limb and quality of life. Separately, the medical records of 100 patients who had undergone lymphatic harvest and been followed up were reviewed for documented signs of lymphatic function of the donor limb. RESULTS: The lymphatic grafts were harvested from the thigh (left, n = 9; right, n = 16) and transplanted to bridge the region of lymphatic obstruction in the axilla. The mean follow-up period was 4.5 years after surgery. None of the patients had shown significant changes in the circumference of the donor limb or pathologic findings via lymphatic scintigraphy. None of the patients had reported any impairment in the donor leg or showed symptoms of postoperative lymphedema or erysipelas. CONCLUSIONS: Our results have shown that harvesting lymphatic vessels from the thigh for lymphatic vessel transplantation is possible without significant donor site morbidity.

Lymphedema of the upper limb: evaluation of the functional outcome by dynamic imaging of lymph kinetics after autologous lymph vessel transplantation.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate by lymphoscintigraphy the functional outcome after autologous lymph vessel transplantation (Tx) of the upper limb. METHODS: One hundred seventy-seven patients (172 female, 5 male; median age, 56 years; range, 12-84 years) presenting with Tx situs in an upper limb were included. For correlation of scintigraphic data versus reduction of volume (RV) surplus measurements, we examined at 4 different time points as follows: preoperatively (T0), within 2 weeks after Tx (T1), 6 to 12 months after Tx (T2), and 32 to 38 months after Tx (T3). An additional long-term follow-up after at least 8 years (T4) was available in some cases. RESULTS: The maximum individual postoperative observation period was 19 years. In 169 of 177 cases, lymphedema had been caused by treatment of breast cancer (mastectomy, n = 103/169; breast preserving, n = 66/169) and/or radiation therapy (n = 130/177), but 2 patients presented with primary lymphedema. The remaining 6 cases of lymphatic disorders were caused by treatment of malignant melanoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, axillary Ewing sarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, hemangioma, or abscess removal.At T1, the mean RV of the affected limb was 73%, and the mean improvement of transport index (TI) was 28%. At T2, the RV was 64% and the TI was 23%, and at T3, the RV was 63% and the TI was 25%. Long-term follow-up after at least 8 years (T4: range, 9-19.2; mean, 14.1 years) was available in 19 of 177 patients, in whom persistent improvement in the scintigraphic data (25% decrease in TI) was confirmed by a mean clinical RV of 68%. The mean overall correlation was by a factor of 2.64. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings in this large set of patients undergoing autologous lymph vessel Tx to an upper limb confirm that this microsurgical technique significantly and persistently improves lymph drainage in patients with lymphedema. The findings of lymphoscintigraphy correlated well with volume measurements at long-term follow-up.

α effect in a turbulent liquid-metal plane Couette flow.

We calculate the mean electromotive force in plane Couette flows of a nonrotating conducting fluid under the influence of a large-scale magnetic field for driven turbulence. A vertical stratification of the turbulence intensity results in an α effect owing to the presence of horizontal shear. Here we discuss the possibility of an experimental determination of the components of the α tensor using both quasilinear theory and nonlinear numerical simulations. For magnetic Prandtl numbers of the order of unity, we find that in the high-conductivity limit the α effect in the direction of the flow clearly exceeds the component in spanwise direction. In this limit, α runs linearly with the magnetic Reynolds number Rm, while in the low-conductivity limit it runs with the product Rm·Re, where Re is the kinetic Reynolds number, so that for a given Rm the α effect grows with decreasing magnetic Prandtl number. For the small magnetic Prandtl numbers of liquid metals, a common value for the horizontal elements of the α tensor appears, which makes it unimportant whether the α effect is measured in the spanwise or the streamwise directions. The resulting effect should lead to an observable voltage of about 0.5 mV in both directions for magnetic fields of 1 kG and velocity fluctuations of about 1 m/s in a channel of 50-cm height (independent of its width).

Dissipative Taylor-Couette flows under the influence of helical magnetic fields.

The linear stability of magnetohydrodynamic Taylor-Couette flows in axially unbounded cylinders is considered for magnetic Prandtl number unity. Magnetic background fields varying from purely axial to purely azimuthal are imposed, with a general helical field parametrized by ß=B(ϕ)/B(z). We map out the transition from the standard magnetorotational instability (MRI) for ß=0 to the nonaxisymmetric azimuthal magnetorotational instability for ß→∞. For finite ß, positive and negative wave numbers m , corresponding to right and left spirals, are no longer degenerate. For the nonaxisymmetric modes, the most unstable mode spirals in the opposite direction to the background field. The standard (ß=0) MRI is axisymmetric for weak fields (including the instability with the lowest Reynolds number) but is nonaxisymmetric for stronger fields. If the azimuthal field is due in part to an axial current flowing through the fluid itself (and not just along the central axis), then it is also unstable to the nonaxisymmetric Tayler instability which is most effective without rotation. For purely toroidal fields the solutions for m=±1 are identical so that in this case no preferred helicity results. For large ß the wave number m=-1 is preferred, whereas for ß≲1 the mode with m=-2 is most unstable. The most unstable modes always spiral in the same direction as the background field. For background fields with positive and not too large ß the kinetic helicity of the fluctuations proves to be negative for all the magnetic instabilities considered.

Comment on "Helical magnetorotational instability in magnetized Taylor-Couette flow".

Liu [Phys. Rev. E 74, 056302 (2006)] have presented a WKB analysis of the helical magnetorotational instability (HMRI), and claim that it does not exist for Keplerian rotation profiles. We show that, if radial boundary conditions are included, the HMRI can exist even for rotation profiles as flat as Keplerian, provided only that at least one of the boundaries is sufficiently conducting.

[The German Guideline Clearinghouse on Breast Cancer: the need for frequent updating of breast cancer guidelines requires effective guideline updating procedures]. / Leitlinien-Clearingverfahren Mammakarzinom: Die Notwendigkeit einer häufigen Aktualisierung von Mammakarzinom-Leitlinien erfordert effektive Vorgehensweisen bei der Fortschreibung von Leitlinien.

In order to promote the quality of health care and guidelines in Germany the German Guideline Clearinghouse (Sponsors: German Medical Association, National Association of the Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, German Hospital Federation, Associations of the Sickness Funds and the Statutory Pension Insurance) was established at the Agency for Quality in Medicine (AQuMed) in 1999. The results of the 10th Guideline Clearing Project, the Guideline Clearing Report "Breast Cancer", were published in December 2003. In a systematic search using English/German language guideline databases and literature databases (Medline, Healthstar, Embase), 16 national guidelines were identified which were in accordance to the inclusion criteria (breast cancer treatment; German or English language; published after 1992; new guideline or genuine update (no adaptation); recommended for country-wide implementation). The methodological quality of these 16 guidelines was evaluated using the appraisal instrument of the German Guideline Clearinghouse, the checklist "Methodological Quality of Clinical Practice Guidelines". A peer review of the guidelines was performed by a multidisciplinary focus group of experts (intended guideline users from clinical and ambulatory settings as well as patients). This group consented comments and recommendations for actions of health care policy makers in Germany for a German breast cancer guideline based on examples from the appraised guidelines. None of the identified guidelines contained information about all of the 24 key topics that the focus group considered to be relevant for a German national guideline. The selected exemplary text extracts from the evaluated guidelines can be used as benchmarks and example sources for the development of a national German breast cancer guideline. From the beginning, patients should be involved in the development process within a multidisciplinary team. Due to the rapid emergence of new evidence, oncology guidelines need an effective procedure for updating in order to ensure that they are able to promote health care quality by giving current recommendations based on best available evidence. International networks such as the Guidelines International Network (G-I-N) will be helpful to collect and appraise the evidence for the national guideline development groups in an effective way.

Tumescent and dry liposuction of lower extremities: differences in lymph vessel injury.

Lipectomy is a standard procedure in plastic surgery. Until now, however, there was no definite information about the influence of different liposuction techniques (tumescent versus dry liposuction) on the integrity of lymph collectors during this procedure. To study the effect of these liposuction techniques on the incidence of lymph vessel injury, postmortem lymphatic preparations were done in nine human cadavers (18 lower extremities). Conventional liposuction with a blunt 4-mm cannula in the dry technique (n = 29 regions) was compared with the tumescent technique (n = 26). Liposuction was performed in parallel to the superficial lymph vessels (longitudinal suction) or transversally in an 80-degree to 90-degree angle to the extremity (vertical suction). Careful surgical preparation of different regions followed. A specific macroscopic lymph vessel injury score was applied to differentiate three degrees of lymph vessel lesions according to the extravasation of patent blue. In all lower extremities, postmortem lymph flow occurred as indicated by patent blue staining of the lymph vessels. Injection of fluid that is obligatory during tumescent suction did not result in grade 2 injury. On the contrary, tumescent suction overall produced significantly fewer lymph vessel lesions when compared with the dry technique (p < 0.05). Longitudinal liposuction produced significantly less injury when compared with vertical suction (p < 0.05). Tumescent suction and dry suction were equally effective in removing adipose aspirates, as verified by circumference measurements. In addition, tumescent liposuction is unlikely to cause major lesions of epifascial lymph vessels during suction procedures vertical to the extremity axis. Therefore, in this respect, this technique is superior to dry suction.

Dynamic lymph flow imaging in patients with oedema of the lower limb for evaluation of the functional outcome after autologous lymph vessel transplantation: an 8-year follow-up study.

The purpose of this study was to monitor the functional outcome of microsurgical intervention on lymph drainage by means of non-invasive, readily available lymphoscintigraphy. Eight patients with primary or secondary lymphoedema of the lower limb were investigated before and for 8 years after autologous lymph vessel transplantation. For scintigraphy, technetium-99m labelled nanocolloid was subcutaneously injected into the first interdigital space of the affected limb. Sequential images were acquired up to 6 h p.i.; for semiquantitative evaluation a numerical transport index was established by assigning scores of up to 9 on each of five criteria: lymphatic transport kinetics, distribution pattern of the radiopharmaceutical, time to appearance of lymph nodes, visualisation of lymph nodes and visualisation of lymph vessels/grafts. Ti values <10 were considered normal. In all eight patients, lymphatic function significantly (P

[Results of treatment with the Herpes simplex antigen Lupidon H, resp. Lupidon G]. / Behandlungsergebnisse mit dem Herpes simplex-Antigen Lupidon H bzw. Lupidon G

The results of treatment with LUPIDON achieved by 215 dermatologists with reference to a total number of 1059 cases are reported taking into account the controlled evaluation of questionnaires. Due to the considerable number of patients and physicians involved in this clinical investigation the presuppositions for objectiveness in respect of statistical evaluation were especially favourable. The results of treatment with LUPIDON--LUPIDON H and LUPIDON G proved to be of equal effectiveness--can be denoted as very positive because of the good or very good effects that could be observed in more than 80% of all the cases concerned. Such a therapeutically favourable result refers primarily to Herpes labialis, Herpes genitalis and Herpes eruptions infesting trunk and head; other types of herpes disease, for example Herpes glutealis or stomatitis aphthosa were only improved to about 60%. The compatability of LUPIDON was striking. The rate of side-effects was at 3%. Moreover, other series of data are given with the intention to inform about criteria such as: Frequency of localisations with regard to Herpes simplex diseases; distribution according to sex of patients being suffering from Herpes labialis and Herpes genitalis; distribution according to age; duration of Herpes simplex before starting a treatment with LUPIDON; accompanying skin diseases.