OBJECTIVES: Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGFbeta) is the predominant cytokine in all forms of fibrotic reactions. As well as being secreted by immune modulators of fibrosis such as macrophages, it is involved in an autocrine feedback loop of fibroblast stimulation whose regulation is still poorly understood. We wished to gain some insight into the mechanisms of the fibroblast response to TGFbeta. METHODS: We undertook an exhaustive transcript profiling experiment using a widely validated restriction enzyme based method for identifying differentially expressed genes (GeneCalling). Transcriptional responses throughout a 24-hour time course were examined at multiple time points and classified. RESULTS: By 24 hours of TGF treatment over 1000 bands, representing a large number of transcripts, were down- or upregulated greater than 2-fold. All of the known genes responsive to TGFbeta, such as collagen and connective tissue growth factor, were upregulated. CONCLUSIONS: This encyclopedic method revealed many unknown transcriptional responses to TGFbeta including the upregulation of a variety of less expected cytoskeletal and matrix components, as well as interactions between the TGFbeta and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathways and alterations in cell death-related pathways. These may in part explain the idiosyncratic responses of mesenchymal cells to TGFbeta.

Cell Culture Techniques↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Vocation, career or both? Politicization of Australian nurses, Victoria 1984-1986.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Australia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The concept of family: perceptions of children in family foster care.

Forty-three children in family foster care and 42 matched controls completed the Kvebaek Family Sculpture Technique, choosing figures to represent family members and placing these on a board to indicate how close they felt to each. Each child's ideal family representation was also obtained. The children in care consistently related to their foster family, rather than their biological kin, as "family." There was no evidence that these children in care preferred to live with their biological family. These findings are limited to children in long-term care, and may be further restricted because the family foster care sample consisted of children aged eight to 15 who had no disabilities. Nevertheless, the results have implications for family foster care policy.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The concept of family: perceptions of adults who were in long-term out-of-home care as children.

The author presents findings from a study in which adults fostered as children identified current family members. Those who included biological parents among their family members reported conflicted relationships, but also spoke of love. In contrast, those who omitted their biological parents seemed angrier, were more likely to have been abused, and were visited less by their biological parents. Those who included their foster parents described feeling loved, said they were not discriminated against, and received ongoing support after leaving care. Those who omitted members of their foster families overwhelmingly described feeling unloved and uncared for; said they were abused, devalued, and discriminated against; and received no continuing support.

Adult↗