The Effects of Skeletal Muscle Specific Cpt1b Knock Out on Genetically Obese Ay Mice

Fatty acid oxidation inhibition is one approach to reducing blood glucose levels in type II diabetes. Skeletal muscle specific Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase 1b knockout mice (Cpt1bm-/-) cannot transport long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria to be oxidized in order to produce energy. Cpt1bm-/- mice have debilitated fat oxidation, less fat mass and improved glucose utilization compared to control C57BL/6 mice fed a 25% fat diet. We hypothesized that CPT1b inhibition could reduce fat mass and lower blood glucose levels in a genetic mouse model of obesity and diabetes. To test this, we bred Cpt1bm-/- mice to AY mice. AY mice, also referred to as lethal yellow mice, are mutated at the mouse agouti locus causing a yellow coat. AY mice are prone to obesity, diabetes, tumors and cancers. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of extended inhibition of fatty acid transport into skeletal muscle mitochondria in AY: Cpt1bm-/- mice. Compared to AY mice, AY: Cpt1bm-/- mice were more insulin sensitive and glucose tolerant. AY: Cpt1bm-/- mice showed improved performance on glucose and insulin tolerance tests despite minimal differences in fat mass between groups. However, liver weights of AY: Cpt1bm-/- mice were significantly less than liver weights of AY mice

Sisters Are Doin\u27 It for Themselves! Why the Parental Rights of Registered Domestic Partners Must Trump the Parental Rights of Their Known Sperm Donors in California

This Comment argues that California Family Code section 297.5 dictates that parental rights in both domestic partners who conceive a child through artificial insemination trump the parental rights of the known sperm donor, because heterosexual married couples have parental rights when a child is born during their marriage, even if one parent is not biologically related to the child

A comparison of experience-dependent locomotory behaviors and biogenic amine neurons in nematode relatives of Caenorhabditis elegans

Background: Survival of an animal depends on its ability to match its responses to environmental conditions. To generate an optimal behavioral output, the nervous system must process sensory information and generate a directed motor output in response to stimuli. The nervous system should also store information about experiences to use in the future. The diverse group of free-living nematodes provides an excellent system to study macro- and microevolution of molecular, morphological and behavioral character states associated with such nervous system function. We asked whether an adaptive behavior would vary among bacterivorous nematodes and whether differences in the neurotransmitter systems known to regulate the behavior in one species would reflect differences seen in the adaptive behavior among those species. Caenorhabditis elegans worms slow in the presence of food; this 'basal' slowing is triggered by dopaminergic mechanosensory neurons that detect bacteria. Starved worms slow more dramatically; this 'enhanced' slowing is regulated by serotonin. Results: We examined seven nematode species with known phylogenetic relationship to C. elegans for locomotory behaviors modulated by food (E. coli), and by the worm's recent history of feeding (being well-fed or starved). We found that locomotory behavior in some species was modulated by food and recent feeding experience in a manner similar to C. elegans, but not all the species tested exhibited these food-modulated behaviors. We also found that some worms had different responses to bacteria other than E. coli. Using histochemical and immunological staining, we found that dopaminergic neurons were very similar among all species. For instance, we saw likely homologs of four bilateral pairs of dopaminergic cephalic and deirid neurons known from C. elegans in all seven species examined. In contrast, there was greater variation in the patterns of serotonergic neurons. The presence of presumptive homologs of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons in a given species did not correlate with the observed differences in locomotory behaviors. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that behaviors can differ significantly between species that appear morphologically very similar, and therefore it is important to consider factors, such as ecology of a species in the wild, when formulating hypotheses about the adaptive significance of a behavior. Our results suggest that evolutionary changes in locomotory behaviors are less likely to be caused by changes in neurotransmitter expression of neurons. Such changes could be caused either by subtle changes in neural circuitry or in the function of the signal transduction pathways mediating these behaviors

An Examination of Career Decision-making in the Context of Female Offenders

Female offenders often have had increased financial difficulties post-release because of lower levels of educational achievement and less job experience. Career programming may prove useful to female offenders by providing guidance with career decisions and strengthening career decision-making skills. The aims of this study were to investigate career decision-making skills and self-efficacy in the context of vocational programming for a group of female offenders. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used to examine scale scores for a group who participated in programming and a control group at the same correctional facility. A series oft tests revealed no significant differences between the control and intervention groups. An examination of the subscale means indicated that female offenders may advocate more passive decision-making styles and lower career decision-making self-efficacy than the original norm samples for these instruments

Understanding adolescent girls\u27 protection strategies against HIV: An exploratory study in urban Lusaka

This report provides a descriptive analysis of how adolescent girls and young women in Lusaka, Zambia construct notions of risk and safety, perceive reproductive health and HIV risks, and identify behaviors and actions they can take to protect themselves. Findings suggests stronger social support networks, improved access to the range of reproductive health services and products, and safe and supportive spaces for girls would be beneficial. The report points to several areas for potential program attention, including more focused attention on the structural and environmental drivers of girls’ vulnerability

Affinity and dose of TCR engagement yield proportional enhancer and gene activity in CD4+ T cells.

Affinity and dose of T cell receptor (TCR) interaction with antigens govern the magnitude of CD4+ T cell responses, but questions remain regarding the quantitative translation of TCR engagement into downstream signals. We find that while the response of mouse CD4+ T cells to antigenic stimulation is bimodal, activated cells exhibit analog responses proportional to signal strength. Gene expression output reflects TCR signal strength, providing a signature of T cell activation. Expression changes rely on a pre-established enhancer landscape and quantitative acetylation at AP-1 binding sites. Finally, we show that graded expression of activation genes depends on ERK pathway activation, suggesting that an ERK-AP-1 axis plays an important role in translating TCR signal strength into proportional activation of enhancers and genes essential for T cell function

Using Information to Manage Uncertainty During Organ Transplantation

People living with a chronic illness can experience uncertainty about their physical conditions, identities, and relationships. One way individuals cope with this uncertainty is through managing information related to their illness. We conducted in-depth interviews with 38 pretransplant and posttransplant patients and analyzed the transcripts using grounded theory techniques. Participants reported that they managed their uncertainty related to transplantation by seeking and avoiding specific information and by strategically handling personal and social information. Participants also described a number of challenges associated with their information use. We discuss the theoretical implications of these findings for literature on information management, uncertainty in illness, and organ transplantation. In addition, we highlight practical implications for medical professionals as well as transplant patients and their loved ones, and we suggest that future research might usefully address what role uncertainty appraisal plays for people coping with chronic illness.</jats:p

Predicting Success of Interior Design Alumni as an Assessment of the Curriculum: Post Graduation Years 1-10

The main question being explored in this research study is “does what we teach in the Interior Design Department make students successful in industry.” The measure of success in this study used two different variables, which include annual salary and job satisfaction

Cooperation of different neuronal systems during hand sign recognition.

Hand signs with symbolic meaning can often be utilized more successfully than words to communicate an intention; however, the underlying brain mechanisms are undefined. The present study using magnetoencephalography (MEG) demonstrates that the primary visual, mirror neuron, social recognition and object recognition systems are involved in hand sign recognition. MEG detected well-orchestrated multiple brain regional electrical activity among these neuronal systems. During the assessment of the meaning of hand signs, the inferior parietal, superior temporal sulcus (STS) and inferior occipitotemporal regions were simultaneously activated. These three regions showed similar time courses in their electrical activity, suggesting that they work together during hand sign recognition by integrating information in the ventral and dorsal pathways through the STS. The results also demonstrated marked right hemispheric predominance, suggesting that hand expression is processed in a manner similar to that in which social signs, such as facial expressions, are processed