ADEQUATE TRUST AVAILS,MISTAKEN TRUST MATTERS: ON THE MORAL RESPONSIBILITY OF DOCTORS AS PROXIES FOR PATIENTS' TRUST IN BIOBANK RESEARCH

In Sweden, most patients are recruited into biobank research by non‐researcher doctors. Patients' trust in doctors may therefore be important to their willingness to participate. We suggest a model of trust that makes sense of such transitions of trust between domains and distinguishes adequate trust from mistaken trust. The unique position of doctors implies, we argue, a Kantian imperfect duty to compensate for patients' mistaken trust. There are at least three kinds of mistaken trust, each of which requires a different set of countermeasures. First, trust is mistaken when necessary competence is lacking; the competence must be developed or the illusion dispelled. Second, trust is irrational whenever the patient is mistaken about his actual reasons for trusting. Care must therefore be taken to support the patient's reasoning and moral agency. Third, some patients inappropriately trust doctors to recommend only research that will benefit them directly. Such trust should be counteracted by nurturing a culture where patients expect to be asked occasionally to contribute to the common good.     

Two-Dimensional Solid-State NMR Applied to a Chimeric Potassium Channel

Solid-state NMR (ssNMR) represents a spectroscopic method to study membrane protein structure and dynamics in lipid bilayers. We present two-dimensional correlation experiments conducted on a fully [¹³C,¹⁵N] labeled version of a chimeric potassium (KcsA-Kv1.3) channel. Data obtained by using two different ion concentrations suggest a structural conservation of the selectivity filter region. SsNMR experiments conducted at two different temperatures point to differential molecular dynamics of the channel.     

Long-term culturing of plants with aseptic roots Determination of rape root exudates

Abstract A plant culture system allowing growth of aseptic roots has been designed. One version of the system comprises vessels developed for plant root-microorganism interaction studies in series. A second version has been built for measurements of different physiological parameters of the shoot and root system during growth periods of at least 2 months. The system was tested by determining soluble organic carbon glucose and sucrose in the root exudates of rape plants (Brassica napus L.) grown for 3 weeks in the culture system. The plants were cultivated with a sterile or a non-sterile root system, or with a root system infected with Verticillium dahliae Kleb.     

Sensing,Threading, Orienting,and Cutting Polymers with Rigid-Rod Pores

This short review describes synthetic pores that are made from rigid-rod molecules and can bind oligo-and polymers such as polyacetylenes, p-oligophenyls, terpenoids, polypeptides, polysaccharides, and oligonucleotides. The spotlight is on recent breakthroughs to image the longtime elusive pore-polymer host-guest complexes as single giant pseudorotaxanes.     

Hormonal Modulation of the Oscillatory System Involved in Polar Transport of Auxin

The amount of natural auxin collected in agar as a result of basipetal efflux from the cambial region of successive short sections of pine stem varies so that a wave-like pattern is formed. The wave-length is several times longer than the cell length in the cambial region, suggesting the existence of a supracellular oscillatory system, which forms a morphogenic field in the stem tissues, The amplitude of the auxin wave is amplified by apical application of IAA to the longer stem sections, particularly at she time of spring initiation of cambial activity. The wave of auxin disappears after simultaneous apical application of IAA and ABA. The modulatory effects of IAA and ABA are translocated along the investigated stem sections faster than known transport velocities of IAA molecules. This fact is considered as evidence of apical control of the morphogenic field by way of influence upon a supracellular system of conjugated oscillators in the tissue.     

ten-a overexpression causes abnormal pattern in the Drosophila compound eye

Ten-a is one of the two Drosophila proteins that belong to the Ten M protein family. This protein is a type Ⅱ transmembrane protein and is expressed mainly in the embryonic CNS, in the larval eye imaginal disc and in the compound eye of the pupa. Here, we investigate the role of ten-α during development of the compound eye by using the Gal4/ UAS system to induce ten-α overexpression in the developing eye. We found that overexpression of ten-α can perturb eye development during all stages examined. In an early stage, overexpression of ten-α in eye primordial cells caused small and rough eyes and interfered with photoreceptor cell recruitment, resulting in some ommatidia having fewer or extra photoreceptor cells. Conversely, ten-α overexpression daring ommatidial formation caused severe eye defects due to absence of many cellular components. Interestingly, overexpression of ten-α in the late stage developing ommatidial cluster affected the number of pigment cells, caused cone cells proliferation in many ommatidia, and caused some photoreceptor cell defects. These results suggest that ten-α may be a novel gene required for normal eye morphogenesis.     

Uncertainties in the relationship between atmospheric nitrogen deposition and forest carbon sequestration

In a recent study, Magnani et al. report how atmospheric nitrogen deposition drives stand-lifetime net ecosystem productivity (NEP_av) for midlatitude forests, with an extremely high C to N response (725 kg C kg⁻¹ wet-deposited N for their European sites). We present here a re-analysis of these data, which suggests a much smaller C : N response for total N inputs. Accounting for dry, as well as wet N deposition reduces the C : N response to 177 : 1. However, if covariance with intersite climatological differences is accounted for, the actual C : N response in this dataset may be <70 : 1. We then use a model analysis of 22 European forest stands to simulate the findings of Magnani et al. Multisite regression of simulated NEP_av vs. total N deposition reproduces a high C : N response (149 : 1). However, once the effects of intersite climatological differences are accounted for, the value is again found to be much smaller, pointing to a real C : N response of about 50–75 : 1.