Comparison of Five Methods for the Determination of Rubella Immunity

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of commonly used methods for the detection of rubella immunity, especially the fully automated IMx assay

Communications Biophysics

Contains research objectives and reports on three research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant MH-04737-05)National Institutes of Health (Grant NB-05462-02)Joint Services Electronics Programs (U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force) under Contract DA 36-039-AMC-03200(E)National Science Foundation (Grant GP-2495)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NsG-496

Communications Biophysics

Contains research objectives and reports on three research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant G-16526)National Institutes of Health (Grant MH-04737-02

DNA fragments of altered electrophoretic mobility in leukemia samples can arise from double-strand DNA breaks at nuclease hypersensitive sites of active genes

Chromosome translocations that disrupt or alter gene function have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of malignancies. Therefore, identification of a translocation breakpoint has become a more important means by which to identify genes involved in cellular transformation. A common site of translocation in myeloid and lymphoid malignancies involves 11q23. One human protooncogene, ETS1, has been localized to this chromosomal segment, and several tumors with 11q23 translocations have been shown to have altered ETS1 DNA migration after restriction enzyme digestion. Two laboratories, however, have recently localized the 11q23 breakpoint region to a small region of DNA telomeric of the CD3 loci, a region at considerable distance from the ETS1 gene locus. Therefore, it is difficult to reconcile the studies that suggest altered migration of fragments associated with ETS1 and lack of a localization of the breakpoint to a region near the ETS1 gene. Recently, in our studies to characterize the promoter/enhancer region of the ETS1 protooncogene, we had the opportunity to analyze DNA from 18 patients with acute leukemia involving chromosome 11q23 aberrations. We were unable to demonstrate rearrangement of the ETS1 gene in this group, thus confirming that the 11q23 breakpoint does not involve ETS1 protooncogene. In one patient, however, a DNA break in the region of the ETS1 promoter was detected reproducibly. This DNA break was mapped to the major DNaseI hypersensitive site in the ETS1 promoter. Mapping from both sides of the break demonstrated that the break must have occurred during processing of the leukemic cells for DNA analysis. Therefore, artifactual DNA breaks can occur at nuclease-hypersensitive sites of active genes. These data suggest that previous reports of chromosomal translocations involving the ETS1 protooncogene may have resulted from DNA breaks at nuclease hypersensitive sites. This mechanism may account for sporadic case reports of altered restriction enzyme fragment migration involving genes that are not ultimately shown to be associated with the chromosome translocation being examined.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/30693/1/0000338.pd

State-building, war and violence : evidence from Latin America

In European history, war has played a major role in state‐building and the state monopoly on violence. But war is a very specific form of organized political violence, and it is decreasing on a global scale. Other patterns of armed violence now dominate, ones that seem to undermine state‐building, thus preventing the replication of European experiences. As a consequence, the main focus of the current state‐building debate is on fragility and a lack of violence control inside these states. Evidence from Latin American history shows that the specific patterns of the termination of both war and violence are more important than the specific patterns of their organization. Hence these patterns can be conceptualized as a critical juncture for state‐building. While military victories in war, the subordination of competing armed actors and the prosecution of perpetrators are conducive for state‐building, negotiated settlements, coexistence, and impunity produce instability due to competing patterns of authority, legitimacy, and social cohesion

Identifying Where REDD+ Financially Out Competes Oil Palm in Floodplain Landscapes Using a Fine-Scale Approach

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) aims to avoid forest conversion to alternative land-uses through financial incentives. Oil-palm has high opportunity costs, which according to current literature questions the financial competitiveness of REDD+ in tropical lowlands. To understand this more, we undertook regional finescale and coarse-scale analyses (through carbon mapping and economic modelling) to assess the financial viability of REDD+ in safeguarding unprotected forest (30,173 ha) in the Lower Kinabatangan floodplain in Malaysian Borneo. Results estimate 4.7 million metric tons of carbon (MgC) in unprotected forest, with 64% allocated for oil-palm cultivations. Through fine-scale mapping and carbon accounting, we demonstrated that REDD+ can outcompete oil-palm in regions with low suitability, with low carbon prices and low carbon stock. In areas with medium oil-palm suitability, REDD+ could outcompete oil palm in areas with: very high carbon and lower carbon price; medium carbon price and average carbon stock; or, low carbon stock and high carbon price. Areas with high oil palm suitability, REDD + could only outcompete with higher carbon price and higher carbon stock. In the coarse-scale model, oil-palm outcompeted REDD+ in all cases. For the fine-scale models at the landscape level, low carbon offset prices (US $3 MgCO2e) would enable REDD+ to outcompete oil-palm in 55$27 million to secure these areas for 25 years. Higher carbon offset price (US $30 MgCO2e) would increase the competitiveness of REDD+ within the landscape but would still only capture between 69$380–416 million in carbon financing. REDD+ has been identified as a strategy to mitigate climate change by many countries (including Malaysia). Although REDD+ in certain scenarios cannot outcompete oil palm, this research contributes to the global REDD+ debate by: highlighting REDD+ competitiveness in tropical floodplain landscapes; and, providing a robust approach for identifying and targeting limited REDD+ funds