DNA methylation mediated control of gene expression is critical for development of crown gall tumors.

Crown gall tumors develop after integration of the T-DNA of virulent Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains into the plant genome. Expression of the T-DNA-encoded oncogenes triggers proliferation and differentiation of transformed plant cells. Crown gall development is known to be accompanied by global changes in transcription, metabolite levels, and physiological processes. High levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in crown galls regulate expression of drought stress responsive genes and mediate drought stress acclimation, which is essential for wild-type-like tumor growth. An impact of epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation on crown gall development has been suggested; however, it has not yet been investigated comprehensively. In this study, the methylation pattern of Arabidopsis thaliana crown galls was analyzed on a genome-wide scale as well as at the single gene level. Bisulfite sequencing analysis revealed that the oncogenes Ipt, IaaH, and IaaM were unmethylated in crown galls. Nevertheless, the oncogenes were susceptible to siRNA-mediated methylation, which inhibited their expression and subsequently crown gall growth. Genome arrays, hybridized with methylated DNA obtained by immunoprecipitation, revealed a globally hypermethylated crown gall genome, while promoters were rather hypomethylated. Mutants with reduced non-CG methylation developed larger tumors than the wild-type controls, indicating that hypermethylation inhibits plant tumor growth. The differential methylation pattern of crown galls and the stem tissue from which they originate correlated with transcriptional changes. Genes known to be transcriptionally inhibited by ABA and methylated in crown galls became promoter methylated upon treatment of A. thaliana with ABA. This suggests that the high ABA levels in crown galls may mediate DNA methylation and regulate expression of genes involved in drought stress protection. In summary, our studies provide evidence that epigenetic processes regulate gene expression, physiological processes, and the development of crown gall tumors.

Emotion in psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: responses to affective pictures.

We examined emotional responses to standard affective pictures in 18 psychogenic nonepileptic seizure (PNES) patients. Given reports of trauma and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) in many PNES patients, comparison groups were seizure-free individuals high and low in PTS (PTS-high, PTS-low; n=18 per group). Patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (1) reported more emotional intensity to neutral and pleasant pictures than PTS-low and more intensity to neutral pictures than PTS-high, and (2) showed less positive emotional behavior to pleasant pictures than PTS-high. Groups did not differ in pleasantness/unpleasantness ratings, negative emotional behavior, cardiac interbeat interval, or respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity to the pictures. Patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures reported more general emotion regulation difficulties and showed lower baseline RSA than PTS-low but not PTS-high. In sum, intense emotional experience and diminished positive emotional behavior characterized PNES patients' emotional responses.

Improving engagement and retention to treatment within VHA PTSD specialty care: Evolution of an outpatient program design.

The Veteran's Health Administration (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) clinical practice guidelines (2017) recommend individual, trauma-focused therapy as the gold standard of treatment for PTSD (i.e., evidence-based practices [EBP]). Moreover, these guidelines encourage the use of individual shared decision-making (SDM) to increase engagement and completion of EBPs for PTSD in line with current literature. This study retrospectively evaluated three models of program design of a VA PTSD specialty clinic over the past 8 years. In line with previous literature, the study hypothesized that leveraging individualized SDM in the clinic design would lead to increased completion of EBPs for PTSD. Analyses indicated an impact as the models shifted from a group-based model to an individualized model. Specifically, as compared to veterans who completed a group-based design, a greater proportion of those enrolled in the clinic were more likely to complete an EBP. These results may suggest that individualized, patient-centered treatment planning may be related to patient engagement in EBPs for PTSD in contrast with group-based models. Other programmatic changes, such as changes in treatment options presented to patients, a movement to focus on EBPs for PTSD, and expanded clinic hours and telehealth options, possibly impacted veteran engagement and completion in EBPs. The study highlights the potential impacts of a changing patient population within the clinic over a relatively short period. The observations are discussed, and limitations are highlighted. The study shares the hope for additional randomized prospective studies of program designs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

MRI of the lungs in children.

Lung diseases of children often need diagnostic imaging beyond X-ray. Although CT is considered the gold standard of lung imaging, MRI is sufficient to answer most of the questions raised. After all, the exposure to radiation caused by one CT examination corresponds to approximately the effective dose of 200 chest radiographs. What is MRI's potential in the lung today? In diseases with alveolar pathology, cardiac- and respiratory-triggered MRI examinations are roughly equivalent to CT examinations. Distinct interstitial processes are easily diagnosable using MRI. Early interstitial processes may be missed by MRI, but conventional plain films fail to recognize them just as often. For identification of lung metastases, CT is still used as the initial diagnostic measure. Subsequent therapy monitoring may then be carried out with the help of MRI. Small bullae and pulmonary emphysema at present pose a problem to MRI. On the other hand, MRI is reliable for follow-up examinations in inflammatory diseases or for imaging of complications, and the increased use of lung MRI as an alternative to chest CT may contribute immensely to reducing radiation exposure in children.

Atypical epithelial cells, cannot exclude papillary carcinoma, in fine needle aspiration of the thyroid.

OBJECTIVE: Atypical epithelial cells, cannot exclude papillary thyroid carcinoma (AEC-PTC), in fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the thyroid is a controversial diagnostic category that might cause a dilemma in patient management. STUDY DESIGN: Eighty-eight thyroid FNA specimens from 86 patients with a diagnosis of AEC-PTC were retrieved from our files in a 10-year period from December 1996 to December 2006. Of the 86 patients, 57 had follow-up histologic diagnoses and were included in this study. The cytologic and histologic materials were reviewed and correlated. RESULTS: Of the 57 patients, all had cytologic atypical features suggestive of PTC. Twenty-five cases of PTC were identified at surgery (44%). Review of the cytologic materials identified the following cytologic features, either alone or in combination strongly associated with PTC at resection: rare intranuclear cytoplasmic invagination (INCI), squamoid cytoplasm and psammoma bodies. CONCLUSION: The most common reasons for rendering the diagnosis of AEC-PTC in FNA of thyroid include rare atypical cells in a cystic thyroid nodule or a background of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The cytologic features of LNCI, squamoid cytoplasm and psammoma bodies should alert the pathologist. Focal cytologic features of PTC in FNA samples are strongly associated with papillary carcinoma on resection.

The importance of self-beliefs on relational aggression of college students.

This study examined the interrelationships among mattering to friends, self-esteem, spirituality, and perpetration of relational aggression in friendships among 457 college students. While the three self-belief variables were positively related to each other, only spirituality and mattering to friends discriminated between men and women. Women reported higher spirituality and mattering to friends, and men reported slightly higher self-esteem. Perpetration of relational aggression was negatively related to mattering to friends and self-esteem and was not related to spirituality. Findings are discussed in light of Erikson's theory of adolescent development and Gilligan's theory of interpersonal relationships.