The transposase-related transcription factor FAR-RED ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL3 (FHY3) promotes seedling de-etiolation in far-red light, perceived by phytochrome A (phyA). In this role, FHY3 indirectly mediates the nuclear import of light-activated phyA, which triggers downstream transcriptional responses. Here, we present genetic evidence for additional roles of FHY3 in plant development and growth. New fhy3 alleles were isolated as suppressors of max2-1 (more axillary branching2-1), a strigolactone-insensitive mutant characterised by highly branched shoots. Branching suppression by fhy3, in both wild-type and max2-1 backgrounds, resulted from inhibition of axillary bud outgrowth. Additional roles in axillary meristem initiation were revealed in the revoluta (rev) fhy3 double mutant, with fhy3 enhancing rev mutant defects in axillary shoot meristem formation, as well as in floral meristem maintenance. fhy3 also affected embryonic and floral patterning with low penetrance, and displayed an oxidative stress-induced phenotype of retarded leaf growth and cell death. The fhy3 phenotypes of axillary bud outgrowth suppression and of stress-induced leaf growth retardation both required the AUXIN-RESISTANT1 gene, and are independent of phyA. Consistent with the recent discovery that FHY3 regulates many Arabidopsis promoters, our results suggest much wider roles for FHY3 in growth and development, either in concert with, or beyond light signalling. © 2012 The Authors. The Plant Journal © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The most widely used assay format for characterizing plasma membrane transporter activity measures accumulation of radiolabeled substrates in tissues or cells expressing the transporters. This assay format had limitations and disadvantages; therefore, there was an unmet need for development of a homogeneous, nonradioactive assay for membrane transporter proteins. In this report, the authors describe the development of a label-free homogeneous assay for the sodium-dependent phosphate transporter NaPi-IIb using the Epic system. The addition of phosphate stimulated a dynamic mass redistribution (DMR) profile unique to cells expressing NaPi-IIb but not on parental cells. This DMR profile was phosphate specific because sulfate or buffer alone did not elicit the same response. Furthermore, the DMR response observed was phosphate and sodium dependent, with Km values in the micromolar and millimolar range, respectively. A known NaPi-IIb noncompetitive inhibitor was shown to completely inhibit the phosphate-stimulated DMR response, suggesting that this observed DMR response is an NaPi-IIb-mediated cellular event. The results demonstrate that a novel label-free assay was developed for studying transporter-mediated cellular activity, and this DMR assay platform could be applicable to other membrane transporter proteins.

This case describes a 35-year-old female who presented with an incidental finding of sublingual gland sialolithiasis. The clinical presentation, investigations and management as well as the pathology are described. This case highlights the diagnostic dilemma in determining the anatomical position of sialoliths on radiographs.

Ecology Letters (2012) ABSTRACT: Successful recruitment in shallow reef ecosystems often involves specific cues that connect planktonic invertebrate larvae with particular crustose coralline algae (CCA) during settlement. While ocean acidification (OA) can reduce larval settlement and the abundance of CCA, the impact of OA on the interactions between planktonic larvae and their preferred settlement substrate are unknown. Here, we demonstrate that CO(2) concentrations (800 and 1300 μatm) predicted to occur by the end of this century significantly reduce coral (Acropora millepora) settlement and CCA cover by ≥ 45%. The CCA important for inducing coral settlement (Titanoderma spp., Hydrolithon spp.) were the most deleteriously affected by OA. Surprisingly, the only preferred settlement substrate (Titanoderma) in the experimental controls was avoided by coral larvae as pCO(2) increased, and other substrata selected. Our results suggest OA may reduce coral population recovery by reducing coral settlement rates, disrupting larval settlement behaviour, and reducing the availability of the most desirable coralline algal species for successful coral recruitment.

This article provides an overview of the structure and function of the National Skeletal Muscle Research Center (NSMRC) at the University of California, San Diego, which is one of the 7 research centers of the Medical Rehabilitation Research Infrastructure Network, created to facilitate access for physicians to experts, technology, and resources from scientific fields related to medical rehabilitation. The 4 cores of the NSMRC are described as a resource for rehabilitation medicine practitioners to use for clinically relevant muscle research.

A study of events with missing transverse energy and an energetic jet is performed using pp collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The data were collected by the CMS detector at the LHC, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36  pb^{-1}. An excess of these events over standard model contributions is a signature of new physics such as large extra dimensions and unparticles. The number of observed events is in good agreement with the prediction of the standard model, and significant extension of the current limits on parameters of new physics benchmark models is achieved.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have a co-occurring reading disorder (RD). The purpose of this research was to assess differences between children with ADHD without RD (ADHD-only) and those with ADHD and co-occurring RD (ADHD+RD). METHODS: Using data from the U.S. Thomson Reuters Marketscan Databases for the years 2005 through 2007, this analysis compared the medical records, including patient demographics, comorbidities, and medication use, of children (age<18) with ADHD-only to those with ADHD+RD. RESULTS: Patients with ADHD+RD were significantly younger, more likely to have received a procedure code associated with formal psychological or non-psychological testing, and more likely to have been diagnosed with comorbid bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, or depression. They were no more likely to have received an antidepressant, anti-manic (bipolar), or antipsychotic, and were significantly less likely to have received a prescription for a stimulant medication. CONCLUSIONS: Relying on a claims database, there appear to be differences in the patient characteristics, comorbidities, and medication use when comparing children with ADHD-only to those with ADHD+RD.

PURPOSE Our aim was to evaluate changes in dry eye diagnostic status following implementation of the new dry eye diagnostic criteria in Japan. DESIGN This was a multicenter cross-sectional study. METHODS We recruited 295 individuals (81 men, 214 women, average age 43.6 ± 14.3 years) seen for general ophthalmic checkup and dry eye examinations. Using results of the Schirmer I test, tear breakup time, and fluorescein and Rose Bengal staining, patients were diagnosed as having definite dry eye (DDE), probable dry eye (PDE), or as being normal according to both the old and new Japanese dry eye diagnostic criteria. RESULTS Mean ages of normal participants and patients with PDE and DDE were 37.0 ± 10.4, 41.7 ± 14.4, and 47.7 ± 15.3 years, respectively (p < 0.001). All 37 individuals diagnosed as normal following the old criteria were also diagnosed as normal with the new diagnostic criteria. Among the 60 patients diagnosed as PDE with the old criteria, 19 (31.7%) were diagnosed as normal and 41 (68.3%) as PDE with the new diagnostic criteria. Of the 198 patients diagnosed with DDE following the old criteria, 59 (29.7%) were diagnosed as PDE and 139 (70.2%) as DDE with the new diagnostic criteria. There was no significant difference in dry eye severity index scores between the old and new diagnostic criteria. CONCLUSION A shift in the final dry eye diagnostic status from DDE to PDE and from PDE to normal was observed with the implementation of the new dry eye diagnostic criteria, suggesting that patients at the severe end of the dry eye disease spectrum are now diagnosed as DDE disease under the new criteria.