First-term attrition due to pregnancy in the Marine Corps: issues, trends, and options

The purpose of this thesis is to provide Headquarters Marine Corps with an analysis of pregnancy attrition and an evaluation of related policy options. The study also compares the Marine Corps' experience with that of the civilian population. The research methods include cross-tabulations and multivariate regression analysis. The data were obtained from Defense Manpower Data Center files of enlisted cohorts for fiscal years 1981, 1985, and 1988-1991. The results show that pregnancy rates in the Marine Corps are at levels either equal to or lower than what should be expected. In addition, pregnancy attrition rates have been decreasing steadily. It is recommended that the Marine Corps revise its pregnancy education program to address unwanted and unplanned pregnancies, which likely account for the majority of pregnancy attrition cases. Further initiatives are recommended to assist the Marine Corps in achieving its goals of increased female representation and lowered rates of pregnancy attritionhttp://archive.org/details/firsttermttritio1094532150NAU.S. Marine Corps (U.S.M.C.) authorApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

G-quadruplex RNA structure as a signal for neurite mRNA targeting

Targeting of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in neuron processes relies on cis-acting regulatory elements, the nature of which is poorly understood. Here, we report that approximately 30% of the best-known dendritic mRNAs contain a guanine (G)-quadruplex consensus in their 3'-untranslated region. Among these mRNAs, we show by using RNA structure probing that a G-quadruplex is present in the mRNAs of two key postsynaptic proteins: PSD-95 and CaMKIIa. The G-quadruplex structure is necessary and sufficient for the potent and fast localization of mRNAs in cortical neurites and this occurs in a metabotropic glutamate receptor-responsive manner. Thus, G-quadruplex seems to be a common neurite localization signal

Transcription, beta-like DNA polymerases and hypermutation.

This paper discusses two aspects of immunoglobulin (Ig) gene hypermutation. In the first approach, a transcription termination signal is introduced in an Ig light chain transgene acting as a mutation substrate, and transgenic lines are generated with control and mutant transgenes integrated in tandem. Analysis of transcription levels and mutation frequencies between mutant and control transgenes clearly dissociates transcription elongation and mutation, and therefore argues against models whereby specific pausing of the RNA polymerase during V gene transcription would trigger an error-prone repair process. The second part reports the identification of two novel beta-like DNA polymerases named Pol lambda and Pol mu, one of which (Pol mu) represents a good candidate for the Ig mutase due to its higher lymphoid expression and its similarity with the lymphoid enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. Peculiar features of the expression of this gene, including an unusual splicing variability and a splicing inhibition in response to DNA-damaging agents, are discussed