Complex nested promoters control tissue-specific expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase genes in wheat.

Cis-acting regulatory elements of the wheat acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) gene family were identified by comparing the promoter activity of 5' end gene fragments fused to a reporter gene in two transient expression systems: wheat protoplasts and epidermal cells of mature embryos. Expression of the plastid and the cytosolic ACC genes is each driven by two nested promoters responsible for the synthesis of two transcript types. The internal promoter is located in an intron removed from transcripts originating at the first promoter. These complex promoters, which are different for the cytosolic and plastid ACC genes, control tissue-specific expression of the enzymatic activity supplying cytosolic, plastid, and mitochondrial pools of malonyl-CoA. The activity of one such complex promoter, driving expression of one of the cytosolic ACC genes, was studied throughout development of transgenic wheat plants carrying a full-length promoter-reporter gene fusion. High activity of the promoter was detected in the coleoptile, in the upper sheath section of the leaf, on the top surface of the ovary, in some sections of the main veins in the lemma and glume, and in abaxial epidermis hair cells of the lemma, glume, and rachis. The findings are consistent with the developmental and environmental requirements for very-long-chain fatty acids and flavonoids, whose synthesis begins with the ACC reaction in the cytosol of these specific cell types.

Enhancing services for offenders: the impact on treatment completion.

Because of high drop out rates, it is important to determine if enhancing standard substance treatment services will impact treatment completion rates among those in need of specialized services who are involved in the criminal justice system. The purpose of this research was to understand the impact of providing mental health services and gender-specific services for women in a modified therapeutic community setting. In the study, those who received mental health services and/or gender-specific treatment services, in additional to the substance abuse services, had similar rates of treatment completion as compared to those who received only substance abuse services. Logistic regression results indicated that controlling for other variables, age and length of time using one's primary drug were the only statistically significant predictors of treatment completion. The results suggest that the treatment model described in this article is a potentially cost-effective method of maximizing existing resources for treating substance abusing criminal offenders in community-based treatment settings.

Perpetrators as victims: understanding violence by female street-walking prostitutes.

Little is known about the perpetration of violence by women who engage in street prostitution. While some researchers have examined the incidence of abuse among this population, the association between receipt of abuse and violence and later perpetration of violence is unclear. This study presents data from a recent evaluation of a case management program for street-walking prostitutes. A description of the program clients is provided, and factors that are associated with assaultive behavior against clients are examined. Bivariate analyses revealed statistically significant differences between assaultive and nonassaultive women with regard to history of psychiatric hospitalization, history of sexual abuse, history of physical abuse, history of emotional abuse, and whether they had been assaulted on the streets. However, logistic regression on variables related to abuse and violence indicates that controlling for other variables, the only statistically significant predictor of assaultive behavior was history of physical abuse. These results indicate the need for further research on this population as well as access to treatment for these women to address their own abuse and victimization.

Adolescents' knowledge and beliefs about pregnancy: the impact of "ENABL".

Finding effective ways to prevent adolescent pregnancy is a concern of public health officials, educators, social workers, parents, and legislators. Numerous programs exist, but there is debate as to whether it is the specific program itself or other factors that are responsible for participants' successful outcomes. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study sought to determine which factors predicted changes in knowledge and beliefs among middle school students (N = 1,450) after exposure to Postponing Sexual Involvement (PSI), the curricular component of Education Now and Babies Later (ENABL), a pregnancy prevention program. It was found that the single most important predictor of improvement in knowledge and beliefs about pregnancy prevention was PSI itself, not background variables. The findings contradict some of the previous studies on factors impacting teenage pregnancy and lend support for the continued examination of ENABL as a promising component of pregnancy prevention efforts.

The cessation of cancer treatment as a crisis.

Although it is commonly acknowledged that a diagnosis of cancer can be a form of a crisis precipitating a period of disequilibrium, few researchers have examined the psychosocial issues associated with the completion of adjuvant cancer treatment. This exploratory study examines the responses of women in a community-based cancer support group to an open-ended question asking them to describe their experiences since their treatment ended. Subjects were asked to respond to whether they felt the loss of the "safety net" of treatment had caused them any type of distress. The narrative responses of the subjects support the notion that the period after treatment ceases may be viewed as a crisis that brings with it anxiety and uncertainty. The results of this study reinforce the need for additional research to better understand the issue so that services and programs can be enhanced to better meet patients' needs. Additionally, the results suggest that social workers may play a crucial role in helping women make the transition from cancer "patient" to cancer "survivor."

Changing patterns of single-stranded-DNA-binding proteins in differentiating brain cortex and cerebellar neurons.

Single-stranded-DNA-binding proteins were analyzed in nuclei of differentiating rat cortex and cerebellar neurons. The developmental period investigated ranged from gestational day 19 (i.e. 3 days before term) to postnatal day 30. During this time both types of neurons undergo transition from proliferating, undifferentiated precursor cells to non-proliferating, terminally differentiated neurons. For comparison, nuclei from mature cortex glia and liver were also examined. Nuclei were isolated according to cell type, the proteins were 14C-labeled in vitro by reductive methylation and were fractionated by affinity chromatography on tandemly arranged columns of double-stranded and single-stranded DNA-cellulose. The columns were uncoupled and the proteins adsorbed to the single-stranded DNA were eluted with salt. They were then analyzed by high resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by fluorography. This strategy ensured the selective detection of proteins that recognize single-stranded DNA specifically, and eliminated interference by proteins binding to DNA by simple ionic interaction as well as by proteins with affinity for double-stranded DNA. Many single-stranded-DNA-binding proteins showed conspicuous developmental fluctuations. In cortex neurons these took place around the time of birth and the first postnatal week, whereas in cerebellar neurons they occurred later and in a more protracted fashion. Thus, in both cortex and cerebellar neurons the protein changes followed a time course closely paralleling the arrest of cell division and the beginning of terminal differentiation. It is suggested that this approach may lead to the detection of putative regulatory proteins of the cell nucleus.