Tissue-specific DNase I-sensitive sites of the maize P gene and their changes upon epimutation

A map has been developed of nuclease-hypersensitive sites of P-rr , the standard allele of the P -locus of Zea mays L. Using a traditional DNase I assay, eight such sites have been found that are specific for the expressing tissue and span a region of more than 25 kb of the P -locus, making it one of the largest plant genes yet described. The maps of the standard allele have also been compared with the recently described moderately stable P-pr allele, which arose from epimutation. Six of the eight sites exhibit the same tissue-specificity in P-pr plants, while two stay repressed as in non-expressing tissues of plants with the standard allele. Interestingly, the two repressed sites coincide with two hypermethylated restriction sites that have previously been correlated with the expression potential of the P-pr allele. On the other hand, four of the DNase I sites, coinciding with CpG islands that were not hypermethylated by the epimutation, also showed no differences in their sensitivity to DNase I between the standard allele and the P-pr allele. This suggests that the epimutation affects both site-specific methylation changes and a specific local chromatin structure of the P gene involved in its regulation.     

Inkonstanz der A-Zone und Fehlen einer H-Zone beim quergestreiften Eileitermuskel von Carausius morosus

Zusammenfassung Der Eileiter von Carausius morosus enthält quergestreifte Muskelfasern. Eine H-Zone fehlt. Bei zunehmender Sarkomerenlänge werden sowohl die I- als auch die A-Zonen größer, und zwar wächst im allgemeinen zunächst die A-Zone, dann die I-Zone. Es gibt Ausnahmen, die zeigen, daß I- und A-Zonen auch relativ unabhängig voneinander ihre Länge verändern können.Wird I>A, so enthält die I-Zone beiderseits der Z-Membran einen schwach doppelbrechenden Bereich, der häufig, aber nicht immer etwa so lang ist wie die A-Zone. Zwischen ihm und dem Rand der A-Zone liegt eine schmale, offenbar isotrope Zone.Herrn Professor Dr. W. J. Schmidt zum 80. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Psychological Distress in the Hospital Setting: A Comparison between Native Dutch and Immigrant Patients

BackgroundPrevalence of psychological distress (i.e. depressive and anxiety symptoms) in medically ill patients is high. Research in the general population shows a higher prevalence of psychological distress among immigrants compared to natives. Our aim was to examine the prevalence of psychological distress in the hospital setting comparing immigrant and native Dutch patients and first and second generation immigrant patients.MethodsPrevalence of psychological distress was assessed using the extended Kessler-10 (EK-10) in 904 patients in a Dutch general teaching hospital. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios to determine differences between native and immigrant patients and first and second generation immigrants in the prevalence of psychological distress. We adjusted for demographic and social variables, socio-economic status, physical quality of life, history of psychiatric disease and health care use.ResultsOf 904 patients, 585 were native Dutch patients and 319 were immigrant patients. The prevalence of psychological distress in native compared to immigrant patients was 54% and 66% respectively, with especially high prevalences among Turkish and Moroccan immigrant patients. The crude OR for prevalence of psychological distress for immigrant patients versus native patients was 1.7 (95% CI 1.2–2.2) and for first versus second generation immigrant patients 2.1 (95% CI 1.2–3.5). After full adjustment ORs were 1.7 (95% CI 1.2–2.3) and 2.2 (95% CI 1.2–4.1) respectively.ConclusionImmigrant patients and first generation immigrant patients were more likely to have psychological distress compared to native patients and second generation immigrant patients respectively. We found a particularly high prevalence of psychological distress in Turkish and Moroccan immigrants.