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The relative competitive advantage of 12 commercially available wheat varieties was examined against Lolium rigidum Gaud. at a number of sites from 1995 to 1997 in south-eastern Australia. Nearly all the variation in crop grain yield was attributable to the variety × environment effects (81%), with only 4% due to variety × weed × environment effects. Some varieties exhibited an environment-specific competitive advantage, for example Katunga, Dollarbird and Hartog, whereas others like Shrike, Rosella and Janz were relatively poorly competitive in some situations. The introduction of greater genetic variability into wheat is required to significantly increase competitiveness. Alternatively, manipulating crop agronomy, such as increasing crop seeding rate, may be a practical alternative. The grain yield of weed-free wheat was highly positively correlated with grain yield of the weedy plots, suggesting that local adaptation is important for strong competitiveness, and that wheat breeders in southern Australia may be inadvertently selecting for competitive advantage with weeds when selecting for other traits such as early vigour. The varieties which showed competitive yield advantage also suppressed L. rigidum. A combination of short-term agronomic manipulations and a longer-term breeding effort is needed for increasing wheat competitiveness, and the increasing importance of herbicide-resistant weeds may facilitate this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competitive abilities of a wide range of genotypes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) against Lolium rigidum Gaud. (annual ryegrass) were examined to determine the potential for breeders to select strongly competitive varieties. Considerable potential within the wheat genome to breed varieties with greater competitive ability was demonstrated. In 1993, 250 genotypes from around the world were screened and in 1994 a subset of 45 (mainly Australian) genotypes were further examined. A uniform density of L. rigidum reduced grain yield of wheat by up to about 80% in 1993 and to 50% in 1994, depending on wheat genotype. Reduction in grain yield was correlated with L. rigidum dry matter. Wheats varied in competitive ability with source, and durum wheats were less competitive than T. aestivum. The ‘old’ standard wheat varieties (released between 1880 and 1950) suppressed the weed more than all the current varieties, with the exception of eight F1 hybrids. A doubling of the crop seeding rate of 10 of the genotypes in 1994 reduced the biomass of L. rigidum by an average of 25% compared with the standard seeding rate. Ranking of competitive ability of varieties at high density was consistent at both seeding rates. The strongly competitive genotypes had high early biomass accumulation, large numbers of tillers, and were tall with extensive leaf display. The potential for breeding enhanced competitive ability in wheat is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competitive abilities of eight winter crops were compared against Lolium rigidum Gaud, (annual ryegrass), an important weed of southern Australia, as a potential strategy to suppress weeds and reduce dependence on herbicides. Two cultivars of each species were chosen to represent the range of competitive ability within each crop and grown in field experiments in 1992 and 1993. The order of decreasing competitive ability (with the ranges of percentage yield reduction from L. rigidum at 300 plants m-2 in parenthesis) was as follows: oats (Avena saliva L.), 2–14%; cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), 14–20%; and triticale (X Triticosecale), 5–24%; followed by oilseed rape, (Brassica napus L.), 9–30%; spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), 22–40%; spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), 10–55%; and, lastly, field pea (Pisum sativum L.), 100%, and lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), 100%. Differences in competitive ability of cultivars within each species were identified, but competition was strongly influenced by seasonal conditions. Competition for nutrients (N, P and K) and light was demonstrated. L. rigidum dry matter and seed production were negatively correlated with grain yield of the weedy crops. More competitive crops offer the potential to suppress grass weeds while maintaining acceptable grain yields. Ways of improving the competitive abilities of grain legume crops are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An asymmetry in the output power and the low-frequency noise emitted from the rear and front facets of index-guided semiconductor lasers with a large percentage of optical feedback into the front facet is reported. Transitions from coherent to incoherent feedback-induced properties by modulation of the feedback path length can be distinguished in the output power versus current (L-I) curve. A cross-over point is found only in the front facet L-I curve corresponding to a minimum in the noise. A model is presented which correctly describes the asymmetry between the L-I curve of the front and rear facets. It also predicts the observed cross-over point in the front facet L-I curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an all-loop expression for scattering amplitudes in planar N=4 super Yang-Mills theory in multi-Regge kinematics valid for all multiplicities, all helicity configurations, and arbitrary logarithmic accuracy. Our expression is arrived at from comparing explicit perturbative results with general expectations from the integrable structure of a closely related collinear limit. A crucial ingredient of the analysis is an all-order extension for the central emission vertex that we recently computed at next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy. As an application, we use our all-order formula to prove that all amplitudes in this theory in multi-Regge kinematics are single-valued multiple polylogarithms of uniform transcendental weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an all-loop expression for scattering amplitudes in planar N=4 super Yang-Mills theory in multi-Regge kinematics valid for all multiplicities, all helicity configurations, and arbitrary logarithmic accuracy. Our expression is arrived at from comparing explicit perturbative results with general expectations from the integrable structure of a closely related collinear limit. A crucial ingredient of the analysis is an all-order extension for the central emission vertex that we recently computed at next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy. As an application, we use our all-order formula to prove that all amplitudes in this theory in multi-Regge kinematics are single-valued multiple polylogarithms of uniform transcendental weight.

We present the fully integrated form of the two-loop four-gluon amplitude in N=2 supersymmetric quantum chromodynamics with gauge group SU(N_{c}) and with N_{f} massless supersymmetric quarks (hypermultiplets) in the fundamental representation. Our result maintains full dependence on N_{c} and N_{f}, and relies on the existence of a compact integrand representation that exhibits the duality between color and kinematics. Specializing to the N=2 superconformal theory, where N_{f}=2N_{c}, we obtain remarkably simple amplitudes that have an analytic structure close to that of N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory, except that now certain lower-weight terms appear. We comment on the corresponding results for other gauge groups.

This article seeks to bridge the gap between the literature on international organisations (IO) and the field of crisis management (CM) by focusing on two themes: how crisis conditions lead organisations to centralise decision-making and how this subsequently affects an international organisation's autonomy. We do this based on two dimensions inspired by the CM literature, that is, the degree of the perceived time pressure and the precrisis legal institutional framework. The plausibility of the analytical framework is assessed on the basis of three cases: the WHO's dealing with the SARS crisis; the European Commission's dealing with the Mad Cow Disease crisis; and the UN's handling of the humanitarian crisis in the Great Lakes region. The results show that the perceived time pressure affected IO autonomy in so far as higher time pressure that rendered IO autonomy stronger, whereas with regard to the institutional framework no stringent pattern could be seen. Moreover, based on our findings, we propose that IO autonomy in crisis situations also depends on the framing of an issue in terms on impartiality, on the extent to which the IO in question is subject to politicisation, as well as on the degree to which it possesses specific technical expertise., (© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2016.)

O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a suicide enzyme that repairs the pre-mutagenic, pre-carcinogenic and pre-toxic DNA damage O(6)-methylguanine. It also repairs larger adducts on the O(6)-position of guanine, such as O(6)-[4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)butyl]guanine and O(6)-chloroethylguanine. These adducts are formed in response to alkylating environmental pollutants, tobacco-specific carcinogens and methylating (procarbazine, dacarbazine, streptozotocine, and temozolomide) as well as chloroethylating (lomustine, nimustine, carmustine, and fotemustine) anticancer drugs. MGMT is therefore a key node in the defense against commonly found carcinogens, and a marker of resistance of normal and cancer cells exposed to alkylating therapeutics. MGMT also likely protects against therapy-related tumor formation caused by these highly mutagenic drugs. Since the amount of MGMT determines the level of repair of toxic DNA alkylation adducts, the MGMT expression level provides important information as to cancer susceptibility and the success of therapy. In this article, we describe the methods employed for detecting MGMT and review the literature with special focus on MGMT activity in normal and neoplastic tissues. The available data show that the expression of MGMT varies greatly in normal tissues and in some cases this has been related to cancer predisposition. MGMT silencing in tumors is mainly regulated epigenetically and in brain tumors this correlates with a better therapeutic response. Conversely, up-regulation of MGMT during cancer treatment limits the therapeutic response. In malignant melanoma, MGMT is not related to the therapeutic response, which is due to other mechanisms of inherent drug resistance. For most cancers, studies that relate MGMT activity to therapeutic outcome following O(6)-alkylating drugs are still lacking., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Alkyltransferase-like proteins (ATLs) share functional motifs with the cancer chemotherapy target O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) and paradoxically protect cells from the biological effects of DNA alkylation damage, despite lacking the reactive cysteine and alkyltransferase activity of AGT. Here we determine Schizosaccharomyces pombe ATL structures without and with damaged DNA containing the endogenous lesion O(6)-methylguanine or cigarette-smoke-derived O(6)-4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobutylguanine. These results reveal non-enzymatic DNA nucleotide flipping plus increased DNA distortion and binding pocket size compared to AGT. Our analysis of lesion-binding site conservation identifies new ATLs in sea anemone and ancestral archaea, indicating that ATL interactions are ancestral to present-day repair pathways in all domains of life. Genetic connections to mammalian XPG (also known as ERCC5) and ERCC1 in S. pombe homologues Rad13 and Swi10 and biochemical interactions with Escherichia coli UvrA and UvrC combined with structural results reveal that ATLs sculpt alkylated DNA to create a genetic and structural intersection of base damage processing with nucleotide excision repair.

Introduction: Alkylating agents are frequently used in the chemotherapy of many types of cancer. This group of drugs mediates cell death by damaging DNA and therefore, understandably, cellular DNA repair mechanisms can influence both their antitumour efficacy and their dose-limiting toxicities., Sources of Data: This review focuses on the mechanism of action of the DNA repair protein, O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) and its exploitation in cancer therapy and reviews the current literature., Areas of Agreement: MGMT can provide resistance to alkylating agents by DNA damage reversal. Inhibition of tumour MGMT by pseudosubstrates to overcome tumour resistance is under clinical evaluation. In addition, MGMT overexpression in haematopoietic stem cells has been shown in animal models to protect normal cells against the myelosuppressive effects of chemotherapy: this strategy has also entered clinical trials., Areas of Controversy: MGMT inhibitors enhance the myelotoxic effect of O(6)-alkylating drugs and therefore reduce the maximum-tolerated dose of these agents. Retroviral vectors used for chemoprotective gene therapy are associated with insertional mutagenesis and leukaemia development., Growing Points: The results of ongoing preclinical and clinical research involving various aspects of MGMT modulation should provide new prospects for the treatment of glioma, melanoma and other cancer types., Areas Timely for Developing Research: Tissue- and tumour-specific approaches to the modulation of MGMT together with other DNA repair functions and in combination with immuno- or radiotherapy are promising strategies to improve alkylating agent therapy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is regarded as a suitable target for antiangiogenic strategies. However, antiangiogenic agents aimed at single targets can be neutralized by upregulation of other proangiogenic factors. Therefore, combined approaches addressing at least two angiogenic targets should be more effective. Employing an appropriate rat hepatoma model, we examined the effects of sFlt-1 (soluble vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] receptor 1 as an indirect inhibitor of angiogenesis) and endostatin (a direct inhibitor of angiogenesis) in both single-agent as well as combined approaches under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Similar to human HCC, rat Morris hepatoma (MH) cells secreted high levels of VEGF, but no endogenous sFlt-1. Parental MH or MHES(r) cells, stably expressing rat endostatin, were adenovirally transduced either with AdsFlt-1 (encoding sFlt-1) or control vector Adnull (containing no transgene), followed by subcutaneous inoculation into syngeneic ACI rats. Compared with MH/Adnull cells, expressing no antiangiogenic factors at all, tumor weights were reduced fourfold in the MHES(r)/Adnull group, 19-fold in the MH/AdsFlt-1-group, and 77-fold in the MHES(r)/AdsFlt-1 combination therapy group. Analysis of variance did not show a significant interaction between the effects of the two factors ES(r) and sFlt-1; their effects multiplied. In conclusion, combined expression of sFlt-1 and endostatin effectively suppresses HCC growth under in vivo conditions. Supplementary material for this article can be found on the HEPATOLOGY website (http://interscience.wiley.com/jpages/0270-9139/suppmat/index.html).

We have carried out a large-scale, semi-automated whole-mount in situ hybridization screen of 8369 cDNA clones in Xenopus laevis embryos. We confirm that differential gene expression is prevalent during embryogenesis since 24% of the clones are expressed non-ubiquitously and 8% are organ or cell type specific marker genes. Sequence analysis and clustering yielded 723 unique genes displaying a differential expression pattern. Of these, 18% were already described in Xenopus, 47% have homologs and 35% are lacking significant sequence similarity in databases. Many of them encode known developmental regulators. We classified 363 of the 723 genes for which a Gene Ontology annotation for molecular function could be attributed and found 'DNA binding' and 'enzyme' the most represented terms. The most common protein domains encoded in these embryonic, differentially expressed genes are the homeobox and RNA Recognition Motif (RRM). Fifty-nine putative orthologs of human disease genes, and 254 organ or cell specific marker genes were identified. Markers were found for nasal placode and archenteron roof, organs for which a specific marker was previously unavailable. Markers were also found for novel subdomains of various other organs. The tissues for which most markers were found are muscle and epidermis. Expression of cell cycle regulators fell in two classes, containing proliferation-promoting and anti-proliferative genes, respectively. We identified 66 new members of the BMP4, chromatin, endoplasmic reticulum, and karyopherin synexpression groups, thus providing a first glimpse of their probable cellular roles. Cluster analysis of tissues to measure tissue relatedness yielded some unorthodox affinities besides expectable lineage relationships. In conclusion, this study represents an atlas of gene expression patterns, which reveals embryonic regionalization, provides novel marker genes, and makes predictions about the functional role of unknown genes.

c-Src is normally associated with the plasma membrane, but upon activation by tyrosine kinase receptors it translocates to the cytoskeleton. Activation of c-Src alters its conformation and induces the association of c-Src with cytoskeletal proteins. c-Src is implicated in tyrosine phosphorylation of cytoskeletal proteins, which might affect the cytoskeletal architecture. Rearrangements of the cytoskeleton affect cell-matrix adhesion and cell migration. In this study NIH3T3 fibroblasts, that overexpress c-Src, were used to analyze the effect of c-Src on both cell-matrix adhesion and cell migration. Upon PDGF stimulation translocation of c-Src to the cytoskeleton was detected. PDGF treatment also increased cell-matrix adhesion and cell migration. The cell line with the highest c-Src expression showed the largest increases in both phenomena. These findings suggest that translocation of c-Src to the cytoskeleton results in enhanced cell-matrix adhesion and cell migration., (Copyright 1999 Academic Press.)

Overexpression of EGFR and c-erbB2 frequently occurs in human breast cancers, correlating with poor prognosis. Here we show that overexpression of EGFR and c-erbB2 in cell lines increases cell migration, an important step in metastasis formation. The effect of EGFR on migration is dependent on the addition of EGF to the cells. In contrast, c-erbB2 seems to act independently of its ligand in these assays. Overexpression of this receptor is sufficient to induce cell migration. In addition, we investigated the involvement of a number of signal transduction pathways known to be activated by the EGFR. We found that inactivation of MAPKK results in a decreased migration, while inactivation of PI3K increases migration.

In 20-30 per cent of human breast cancers, the receptor tyrosine kinases epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-erbB2 are overexpressed. This overexpression leads to increased mitogenic signalling and is correlated with poor prognosis. Overexpression of associated adaptor proteins, like Grb2, can also induce upregulation of signalling pathways. In this study, the expression of the Grb2 adaptor protein was determined in both normal human breast tissue and mammary cancers, using immunoblotting experiments and immunostaining on paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Both biochemical and immunohistochemical techniques revealed overexpression of Grb2 in all breast cancer specimens. In addition, although Grb2 protein is described as localized in the cytoplasm, it can also be detected in the nucleus, both in normal and in tumour breast tissue. In tumour breast tissue, 58 per cent of Grb2 protein is found in the nucleus, while 37 per cent is detected in the cytoplasm. In normal breast tissue, 22 per cent of Grb2 is found in the nucleus and 70 per cent in the cytoplasm. These findings indicate that in human breast cancer, Grb2 is overexpressed and appears to be predominantly localized in the nucleus.

In human breast cancer, c-Src activity is elevated compared to normal breast tissue. It is not yet known whether this increase in c-Src activity is accompanied by an increase in c-Src protein expression. In this study, c-Src activity and protein expression were determined in a series of human breast cancers and in normal breast tissue, using immune complex kinase assays and immunoblotting. As the heterogeneity of breast cancer is not taken into account in these biochemical experiments, immunohistochemistry was also used to distinguish between normal and malignant cells. In human breast cancers, the c-Src activity is increased 4- to 30-fold, compared with normal breast tissue. This enhanced activity is accompanied by an increase in c-Src protein expression, as shown by both immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemistry indicates that the majority of c-Src appears to be concentrated around the nucleus in malignant cells, whereas in normal cells, it is distributed more evenly in the cytoplasm. These data confirm that c-Src activity is increased in human breast cancer. In addition, this study provides strong immunohistochemical evidence that the c-Src protein is also overexpressed, enabling a distinction to be made between normal and malignant cells.

Waveguides and corner mirrors are fabricated in InGaAsP/lnP. Properly aligned mirrors have a loss of 0.8 dB per reflection. This result is obtained by improved waveguide and mirror quality (surface roughness). Measured additional losses that are due to misalignment agree well with calculated values when a simple transformation method is used.