Assay of growth hormone and gonadotrophins in relation to clinical problems

Since the early 1900's, many investigators have studied the effects of pituitary ablation and the mode of action of the hypophyseal hormones. Initially, work was mainly directed towards the purification and bioassay of the various hormones, although the effects of hormone administration were also studied. Recently, attempts have been made to synthesise some of the hormones. The aim of this thesis is to describe a series of studies undertaken in an attempt to develop new assay methods for growth hormone and the gonadotropins and the application of these procedures. (89) An investigation of the bioassay for growth hormone depending on the increase in tibial epiphyseal cartilage width in immature hypophysectomised rats has shown that the method is not specific and is of low sensitivity. The procedure has been used to compare the potency of pituitary extracts from different species and to provide a measure of the effect on body growth and on cartilage width of two synthetic compounds and of nerve section. A dithiocarbamoylhydrazine derivative, Compound 33» 828 (I.C.I.) was found to have a markedly inhibitory effect on general body growth and cartilage width, possibly due to the toxicity of the compound. A synthetic polypeptide, Ciba 50920-Ba which is claimed to have an adrenocorticotrophic hormone-like action on the adrenal, had no marked effect on cartilage growth. It has also been shown that the artificial induction of muscular atrophy in young rats by section of the sciatic nerve did not interfere with cartilage growth and that the administration of pituitary hormones to animals treated in this way was without effect. (166) A haemagglutination-inhibition method has been developed for the assay of growth hormone and has proved to be sensitive and highly specific. When estimates of the growth hormone potency of standard pituitary preparations were made by both the bioassay described above and the immunological method, similar results were obtained. The immunological procedure was, however, found not to be sufficiently sensitive for clinical application. A latex particle agglutination-inhibition method for the quantitative determination of human chorionic gonadotrophin has also been developed. This again proved to be unsuitable for clinical application. (88) The pyruvic acid oontent of the immature rat ovary, both prior to and following gonadotrophic stimulation, was estimated by two different methods. A marked rise in pyruvic acid was noted following initial stimulation with pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin, but this rapidly fell to a low level which could not be altered by further gonadotrophic stimulation. The relationship between pyruvic acid and gonadotrophic stimulation is discussed. (65) The studies reported in this thesis have shown that the methods available for the quantitative determination of growth hormone and gonadotrophins axe not entirely satisfactory because of poor sensitivity or lack of specificity. However, despite these limitations, useful information can be obtained by these procedures although it is clear that they are not suitable for clinical application. The development of more sensitive and specific methods for the estimation of these hormones is therefore necessary and it is suggested that future work in this field should be directed towards this end

The Dichotomous Pattern of IL-12R and IL-23R Expression Elucidates the Role of IL-12 and IL-23 in Inflammation

IL-12 and IL-23 cytokines respectively drive Th1 and Th17 type responses. Yet, little is known regarding the biology of these receptors. As the IL-12 and IL-23 receptors share a common subunit, it has been assumed that these receptors are co-expressed. Surprisingly, we find that the expression of each of these receptors is restricted to specific cell types, in both mouse and human. Indeed, although IL-12Rβ2 is expressed by NK cells and a subset of γδ T cells, the expression of IL-23R is restricted to specific T cell subsets, a small number of B cells and innate lymphoid cells. By exploiting an IL-12- and IL-23-dependent mouse model of innate inflammation, we demonstrate an intricate interplay between IL-12Rβ2 NK cells and IL-23R innate lymphoid cells with respectively dominant roles in the regulation of systemic versus local inflammatory responses. Together, these findings support an unforeseen lineage-specific dichotomy in the in vivo role of both the IL-12 and IL-23 pathways in pathological inflammatory states, which may allow more accurate dissection of the roles of these receptors in chronic inflammatory diseases in humans

Connecting Students and Communities: A Case Study in Historic School Rehabilitation Vaux Big Picture High School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This project takes a multidisciplinary pronged approach to community development, schools, and historic preservation using a case study of Vaux Big Picture High School, a successfully rehabilitated historic Philadelphia school that was closed and later returned to use as a neighborhood school. Through partner involvement and the incentives of a HUD choice neighborhood grant, the new school has the funds and resources to create essential social, health, and employment support resources for the students and outside community. This case study demonstrates that the school building is an important neighborhood asset and has significance beyond its architectural style or design. In addition, a greater understanding of local history can be appreciated and understood through a broader inquiry into social and cultural community history. The goal of this paper is to encourage preservationists to consider designing spaces with possible community-serving purposes in institutional buildings such as neighborhood schools

Cultural Landscapes Study: Langley Park/Adelphi

Final project for HISP-GAPALS Independent Study (Fall 2020). University of Maryland, College Park.Through their work with the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland (UMD), the Prince George's County- Planning Department commissioned this report from the University’s Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS). PALS works with local jurisdictions throughout Maryland to identify projects and problems that can be taught through university courses where students focus on developing innovative, research-based solutions. This project was focused on investigating current County-listed historic resources as well as identify potential new resources. This report centers on obtaining research by covering the Langley Park/Adelphi community at large, to include all phases and periods of the development of the communities, from the 18th century to the present for Prince George's County.Prince George's County- Planning Department (PG PD

Purple Line Corridor Coalition GIS Field Maps Application for Walking Routes

An intermediate GIS class in the School of Community Planning developed an app using ArcGIS Field Maps to help record data from the field and then produced six walking tour maps for the Purple Line Corridor Coalition.The Purple Line Corridor Coalition (PLCC) is actively working to help keep the areas around the future stations inclusive for all income levels while still encouraging investment and density. This has important distinctions for zoning in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties separately and across some specific stations. Students in the course developed an app using ArcGIS Field Maps to help the PLCC record data from the field and during asset mapping walking tours with community members. The maps show designated areas with routes for the PLCC walking tours

Pawndering Dog Parks for Prince George's County Parks

Final report for URSP600: Qualitative Research Design & Methods for Planners (Spring 2022). University of Maryland, College Park.Over the Spring 2022 semester, students investigated this topic while learning the skills associated with qualitative planning research. The researchers used methods that included archive and document analysis, environmental/behavioral and participant observation, soundscape and video documentation, critical cartography, and interviews. This study aimed to better understand how dog parks are used and the report makes recommendations for how to best design and locate dog parks to ensure their success. Questions of community, access, and equity were central to this inquiry. Seven case study sites were selected to examine a variety of park types, including variations in design, scale, location (urban/suburban), ecology (slope/stormwater issues, etc.), and material (grass/synthetic).Prince George's Department of Parks and Recreatio