RESUMEN
Plant sesterterpenoids, an important class of terpenoids, are widely distributed in various plants, including food crops. However, little is known about their biosynthesis. Here, we cloned and functionally characterized a plant geranylfarnesyl diphosphate synthase (Lc-GFDPS), the enzyme producing the C25 prenyl diphosphate precursor to all sesterterpenoids, from the glandular trichomes of the woody plant Leucosceptrum canum. GFDPS catalyzed the formation of GFDP after expression in Escherichia coli. Overexpressing GFDPS in Arabidopsis thaliana also gave an extract catalyzing GFDP formation. GFDPS was strongly expressed in glandular trichomes, and its transcript profile was completely in accordance with the sesterterpenoid accumulation pattern. GFDPS is localized to the plastids, and inhibitor studies indicated its use of isoprenyl diphosphate substrates supplied by the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate pathway. Application of a jasmonate defense hormone induced GFDPS transcript and sesterterpenoid accumulation, while reducing feeding and growth of the generalist insect Spodoptera exigua, suggesting that these C25 terpenoids play a defensive role. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that GFDPS probably evolved from plant geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase under the influence of positive selection. The isolation of GFDPS provides a model for investigating sesterterpenoid formation in other species and a tool for manipulating the formation of this group in plants and other organisms.
Asunto(s)
Farnesiltransferasa/metabolismo , Mentha/enzimología , Spodoptera/fisiología , Terpenos/metabolismo , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Eritritol/análogos & derivados , Eritritol/metabolismo , Farnesiltransferasa/genética , Mentha/química , Mentha/genética , Especificidad de Órganos , Filogenia , Plantones/química , Plantones/enzimología , Plantones/genética , Alineación de Secuencia , Fosfatos de Azúcar/metabolismo , Terpenos/química , Tricomas/química , Tricomas/enzimología , Tricomas/genéticaRESUMEN
There is a tradition of planning cities and their infrastructure to successfully tackle communicable disease arising from urban development. Non-communicable disease follows a different course. Development brings in its wake a basket of adverse health and health equity outcomes that are proving difficult to tackle. In response, within Phase V of the European Healthy Cities Network, municipalities have implemented a range of policy and physical interventions using a settings approach. Owing to the time lag between physical interventions and health outcomes, this research interrogates city activity itself to develop better understanding. Self-reported city case studies and questionnaire data were analysed to reveal patterns using an inductive approach. Findings indicate that some categories of intervention, such as whole city planning and transport, have a systemic impact across the wider determinants of health. Addressing transferability and stakeholder understanding helped cities create conditions for successful outcomes. Cities had varying urban development approaches for tackling climate change. Improvements to current practice are discussed, including; a distinction between supply side and demand side in healthy urban planning; valuing co-benefits and developing integrative approaches to the evidence-base. This evaluative article is important for cities wanting to learn how to maximize benefits to public health through urban development and for researchers exploring, with a systemic approach, the experiences of European cities acting at the interface of urban development and public health. This article also provides recommendations for future phases of the WHO European Healthy Cities programme, posing questions to better address governance and equity in spatial planning.
Asunto(s)
Planificación de Ciudades , Planificación en Salud , Política de Salud , Promoción de la Salud/organización & administración , Salud Urbana , Ciudades , Planificación de Ciudades/métodos , Planificación de Ciudades/organización & administración , Redes Comunitarias/organización & administración , Salud Ambiental/métodos , Salud Ambiental/organización & administración , Humanos , Relaciones Interprofesionales , Estudios de Casos Organizacionales , Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud , Salud Pública , Práctica de Salud Pública , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Organización Mundial de la SaludRESUMEN
In this article we reflect on the quality of a realist synthesis paradigm applied to the evaluation of Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network. The programmatic application of this approach has led to very high response rates and a wealth of important data. All articles in this Supplement report that cities in the network move from small-scale, time-limited projects predominantly focused on health lifestyles to the significant inclusion of policies and programmes on systems and values for good health governance. The evaluation team felt that, due to time and resource limitations, it was unable to fully exploit the potential of realist synthesis. In particular, the synthetic integration of different strategic foci of Phase V designation areas did not come to full fruition. We recommend better and more sustained integration of realist synthesis in the practice of Healthy Cities in future Phases.
Asunto(s)
Redes Comunitarias , Política de Salud , Promoción de la Salud , Práctica de Salud Pública , Salud Urbana , Ciudades , Redes Comunitarias/organización & administración , Europa (Continente) , Promoción de la Salud/métodos , Promoción de la Salud/organización & administración , Humanos , Cooperación Internacional , Relaciones Interprofesionales , Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud , Organización Mundial de la SaludRESUMEN
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the progress made by European cities in relation to Healthy Urban Planning (HUP) during Phase IV of the World Health Organization's Healthy Cities programme (2003-2008). The introduction sets out the general principle of HUP, identifying three levels or phases of health and planning integration. This leads on to a more specific analysis of the processes and substance of HUP, which provide criteria for assessment of progress. The assessment itself relies on two sources of data provided by the municipalities: the Annual Review Templates (ARTs) 2008 and the response to the Phase IV General Evaluation Questionnaire. The findings indicate that the evidence from different sources and questions in different sections are encouragingly consistent. The number of cities achieving a good level of understanding and activity in HUP has risen very substantially over the period. In particular, those achieving effective strategic integration of health and planning have increased. A key challenge for the future will be to develop planning frameworks which advance public health concerns in a spatial policy context driven often by market forces. A health in all policies approach could be valuable.
Asunto(s)
Planificación de Ciudades/organización & administración , Planificación en Salud/organización & administración , Programas Gente Sana/organización & administración , Determinantes Sociales de la Salud , Salud Urbana , Envejecimiento , Ciudades , Planificación de Ciudades/normas , Relaciones Comunidad-Institución , Salud Ambiental , Europa (Continente) , Planificación en Salud/normas , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud , Programas Gente Sana/normas , Humanos , Estilo de Vida , Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud , Características de la Residencia , Apoyo Social , Factores Socioeconómicos , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Organización Mundial de la SaludRESUMEN
Circular dichroism (CD) has become an increasingly important tool in the study of biological molecules as it enables structural information to be obtained nondestructively on solution-phase samples. However, sample requirements for CD are often seen as being too high with protein backbone measurements in standard cuvettes typically requiring â¼100-300 µL of 0.1 mg/ml protein. To address this issue, we have designed a new form of CD sample holder, which reduces the sample requirements of the technique by two orders of magnitude, with a sample requirement of less than 3 µl. This sample saving has been achieved through the use of extruded quartz capillaries, the sample being held within the internal diameter of the quartz capillary through capillary action. The extruded quartz capillaries exhibit remarkably little birefringence, although still transmitting high energy UV circularly polarized light. The optics associated with capillaries were investigated. A configuration has been adopted with the light beam of the spectrophotometer being focused in front of the front face of the capillary using a biconvex lens and advantage being taken of the additional focusing effect of the capillary itself. The focusing is vital to the low wavelength performance of the cell, where we have acquired reliable data down to 180 nm using a Jasco J-815 spectrophotometer. The system performance was validated with Na[Co(EDDS)].H(2)O (EDDS = N,N-ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid), concanavalin A, lysozyme, and progesterone.
Asunto(s)
Dicroismo Circular/instrumentación , Dicroismo Circular/métodos , Animales , Humanos , Microquímica , Muramidasa/químicaRESUMEN
This article describes the WHO 'healthy urban planning' (HUP) initiative as it has developed through the laboratory of the Healthy Cities movement and evaluates the degree to which applicant cities successfully developed plans for HUP. The paper provides a brief historical perspective on the relationship of health and planning and an overview of the ways in which urban spatial development affects health. It then turns to the WHO European Healthy Cities Network (WHO-EHCN) and explains the evolution of the HUP programme through Phase III (1998-2002) of the Healthy Cities Project, showing how the programme has grown from experimental beginnings to being 'mainstreamed' in Phase IV (2003-2008). Each city wishing to join the WHO-EHCN in this latter phase produced a programme for further development of HUP, and these were assessed by the Bristol Collaborating Centre. The paper presents the overall results, concluding that a significant progress has been made and the most advanced cities have much to offer municipalities everywhere in the best practice for integrating health into urban planning.
Asunto(s)
Planificación de Ciudades/organización & administración , Salud Urbana , Planificación de Ciudades/historia , Europa (Continente) , Historia del Siglo XX , Historia del Siglo XXI , Humanos , Desarrollo de Programa/normas , Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud/métodos , Organización Mundial de la SaludRESUMEN
The suckerin family of proteins, identified from the squid sucker ring teeth assembly, offers unique mechanical properties and potential advantages over other natural biomaterials. In this study, a small suckerin isoform, suckerin-12, is used to create enzymatically crosslinked, macro-scale hydrogels. Upon exposure to specific salt conditions, suckerin-12 hydrogels contracted into a condensed state where mechanical properties are found to be modulated by the salt anion present. The rate of contraction is found to correlate well with the kosmotropic arm of the Hofmeister anion series. However, the observed changes in hydrogel mechanical properties are better explained by the ability of the salt to neutralize charges in suckerin-12 by deprotonization or charge screening. Thus, by altering the anions in the condensing salt solution, it is possible to tune the mechanical properties of suckerin-12 hydrogels. The potential for suckerins to add new properties to materials based on naturally-derived proteins is highlighted.
Asunto(s)
Decapodiformes/química , Fibroínas/química , Hidrogeles/química , Estrés Mecánico , Animales , Isoformas de Proteínas/químicaRESUMEN
There is a widespread recognition that cities, towns and villages have become increasingly dependent on motorized transport and a car-based land-use pattern. This has led to a series of unintended consequences--in particular, a lack of regular exercise, the decline of local communities and excessive greenhouse gas emissions--ith huge long-term impacts on health and wellbeing. Official policies are trying to change the trend, with much rhetoric about 'sustainable development' and 'sustainable communities'. Yet many of the decision processes that control change in the built environment have not caught up with the new agenda. This paper is concerned with the way in which new development proposals are tested for their health and sustainability credentials. It reviews the theory and practice in this field, with a particular focus on environmental impact analysis and health impact assessment. It identifies the relative strengths and weaknesses of these tools, examining the degree to which they are systematic in their approach to health and sustainability, and include all those who have a legitimate interest in the outcomes. Then a new technique--Spectrum appraisal--is presented. Spectrum is a logical and very practical process that facilitates consensus-building and creativity in decision-making. Practical applications show how the technique can be used to help ensure a healthier, more sustainable urban environment.
Asunto(s)
Planificación de Ciudades , Conservación de los Recursos Naturales , Salud Urbana , Remodelación Urbana , Planificación de Ciudades/métodos , Conservación de los Recursos Naturales/métodos , Toma de Decisiones , Planificación Ambiental , Salud Ambiental , Remodelación Urbana/métodosAsunto(s)
Bebidas Alcohólicas , Industria de Alimentos , Política de Salud , Política Pública , HumanosAsunto(s)
Ecología , Salud Ambiental , Medio Social , Política de Salud , Disparidades en el Estado de Salud , HumanosRESUMEN
There is a renewed and growing recognition of the links between public health and the built environment, which has underlined the need for improved joint working between public health and built environment professionals. However, currently there is little engagement between these two sectors. This paper outlines a workforce development initiative that aims to increase capacity for such joint working, through shared learning and reflection between professionals from the built environment sector and those from the specialist public health workforce. This paper demonstrates how shared learning through facilitated learning sets and other activities has identified issues that both hinder and potentially help the greater integration of health into built environment thinking. It documents a number of responses to the issues that have arisen, as well as suggesting ways forward and future work that can help to bring public health and built environment professionals closer together for the benefit of society.