Uterine Vascular Permeability, Extracellular Fluid Volume And Blood Flow Following Deciduogenic Stimulation Of Rats

The present study examined the possible importance of uterine vascular permeability (VP), extracellular fluid volume (ECFV) and blood flow (BF) in the enhanced accumulation of serum proteins in uterine tissue destined to undergo decidualization. This process is identifiable by endometrial blueing after intravenous (i.v.) injection of Evans blue dye. It was hypothesized that VP, ECFV and BF must increase to promote the enhanced intrauterine accumulation of serum proteins and that these uterine vascular and perivascular changes require optimal endometrial sensitization and prostaglandins (PGs).;ECFV was estimated by the uterine volume of distribution of i.v. injected {dollar}\sp{lcub}51{rcub}{dollar}Cr-EDTA, VP by the rate of increase of the uterine volume of distribution of albumin after i.v. injection of {dollar}\sp{lcub}125{rcub}{dollar}I-albumin, and BF by the microsphere technique. In one experimental manipulation, unilateral, artificial deciduogenic stimulation was given to the uteri of rats after either optimal or suboptimal sensitization for decidualization. In another manipulation, decidualization was first inhibited by intrauterine infusion of indomethacin (IM) then reinstated by simultaneous infusion of prostaglandin E{dollar}\sb2{dollar} (PGE{dollar}\sb2{dollar}) with the IM.;When stimulation was given to an optimally sensitized uterus, both VP and ECFV were significantly higher in stimulated than nonstimulated horns during the time when the endometrial blueing reaction can be demonstrated by i.v. injection of Evans blue dye. VP became significantly increased by 4 hours after stimulation while significant increases in ECFV followed at 8 hours. Deviation from optimal sensitization and infusion with IM eliminated or significantly reduced the elevated ECFV and VP in simulated horns. This effect of IM was reversed by coinfusion with PGE{dollar}\sb2{dollar}. In most cases, increases in total BF were proportional to increases in uterine weight producing consistent uterine tissue BF (3-4 {dollar}\mu{dollar}l/min/mg). Excessive estrogen sensitization and coinfusion of PGE{dollar}\sb2{dollar} and IM for 20 hours resulted in uterine weight gains which were not accompanied by proportional increases in total uterine BF. For these treatments, uterine tissue BF was significantly reduced.;The results of this study indicate that transient increases in uterine VP and ECFV occur during the time when the uterine blueing reaction can be demonstrated. The fact that uterine VP and ECFV nearly always changed in parallel suggests that these variables are either directly related or share a common control element. However, the possibility that the 2 variables play independent roles in the uterine blueing reaction cannot be excluded. Increased uterine BF does not appear to be an essential component of the blueing phenomenon. The use of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques provided identification of predecidual tissue in dissected uteri and in the uteri of intact, anaesthetized rats. The elevated ECFV in predecidual tissue appears to be largely responsible for the image enhancement

The Pedagogical Benefits of CRS use in Small-Group and Culturally- specific Settings: A Pilot use and Study of Student Perceptions

Electronic classroom response systems (or CRS) are tools used to engage students in material; promote discussion; and offer teachers an immediate way to measure lesson and learning effectiveness. Their benefits are well understood for large class sizes and lectures. However, we have been interested to study how they might perform in small classroom settings and to assist educators and students to overcome social and pedagogical constraints peculiar to Japan and ESL contexts. It’s mainly been our wish to find ways to circumvent a certain reticence on the part of students to participate more dynamically in classroom discussions and to offer feedback as to their comprehension of concepts. In this paper we begin by describing the general rationales for using CRS and some description of practices employed. This includes some anecdotal reflections. We then describe our very simple (and small sample size) survey results on student perceptions of the system(s). This generally revealed CRS to be positively viewed on self-assessment of performance and engagement; and as a continuous assessment tool (and welcome alternative to traditional mid-term and final exam formulae). Lastly, the authors discuss CRS juxtaposed with traditional and new constraints in teaching and urge educators to reckon with the cognitive and wider culturally affected and adapted attributes of today’s students

Dietary Methionine Restriction Regulates Liver Protein Synthesis and Gene Expression Independently of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 2 Phosphorylation in Mice

Background: The phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (p-eIF2) during dietary amino acid insufficiency reduces protein synthesis and alters gene expression via the integrated stress response (ISR).Objective: We explored whether a Met-restricted (MR) diet activates the ISR to reduce body fat and regulate protein balance.Methods: Male and female mice aged 3-6 mo with either whole-body deletion of general control nonderepressible 2 (Gcn2) or liver-specific deletion of protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (Perk) alongside wild-type or floxed control mice were fed an obesogenic diet sufficient in Met (0.86%) or an MR (0.12% Met) diet for ≤5 wk. Ala enrichment with deuterium was measured to calculate protein synthesis rates. The guanine nucleotide exchange factor activity of eIF2B was measured alongside p-eIF2 and hepatic mRNA expression levels at 2 d and 5 wk. Metabolic phenotyping was conducted at 4 wk, and body composition was measured throughout. Results were evaluated with the use of ANOVA (P < 0.05).Results: Feeding an MR diet for 2 d did not increase hepatic p-eIF2 or reduce eIF2B activity in wild-type or Gcn2-/- mice, yet many genes transcriptionally regulated by the ISR were altered in both strains in the same direction and amplitude. Feeding an MR diet for 5 wk increased p-eIF2 and reduced eIF2B activity in wild-type but not Gcn2-/- mice, yet ISR-regulated genes altered in both strains similarly. Furthermore, the MR diet reduced mixed and cytosolic but not mitochondrial protein synthesis in both the liver and skeletal muscle regardless of Gcn2 status. Despite the similarities between strains, the MR diet did not increase energy expenditure or reduce body fat in Gcn2-/- mice. Finally, feeding the MR diet to mice with Perk deleted in the liver increased hepatic p-eIF2 and altered body composition similar to floxed controls.Conclusions: Hepatic activation of the ISR resulting from an MR diet does not require p-eIF2. Gcn2 status influences body fat loss but not protein balance when Met is restricted

Multiplatform Analysis of 12 Cancer Types Reveals Molecular Classification within and across Tissues of Origin

Recent genomic analyses of pathologically-defined tumor types identify “within-a-tissue” disease subtypes. However, the extent to which genomic signatures are shared across tissues is still unclear. We performed an integrative analysis using five genome-wide platforms and one proteomic platform on 3,527 specimens from 12 cancer types, revealing a unified classification into 11 major subtypes. Five subtypes were nearly identical to their tissue-of-origin counterparts, but several distinct cancer types were found to converge into common subtypes. Lung squamous, head & neck, and a subset of bladder cancers coalesced into one subtype typified by TP53 alterations, TP63 amplifications, and high expression of immune and proliferation pathway genes. Of note, bladder cancers split into three pan-cancer subtypes. The multi-platform classification, while correlated with tissue-of-origin, provides independent information for predicting clinical outcomes. All datasets are available for data-mining from a unified resource to support further biological discoveries and insights into novel therapeutic strategies

Time series analysis of summer hot spells in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin : an application for utilities

Includes bibliographical references (pages [65]-67)Recent changes in the utility industry brought about by changes in government policy are promoting more efficient management. As a result, some utility managers now view climate analysis as a tool that may help them gain a competitive edge in the energy marketplace. This thesis used time series analysis to examine summer hot spells in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin. The intent was to provide utility managers with useful information about summer hot spells that would allow for improved management decisions and strategies. The goals of this research are fourfold: (1) construct deterministic, dynamic-stochastic time series models of summer daily maximum air temperatures for twenty-two sites within the study region; (2) generate hot spell counts and duration probabilities for each site; (3) assess the accuracy of the models; and (4) examine summer hot spells geographically and temporally. The expectation is that the information from this hot spell analysis could be used in conjunction with long-range climate forecasts. It was found that Lake Michigan had a pronounced effect on the geography of summer hot spell frequencies and cumulative duration probabilities. Those sites closest to the lake experienced the highest total number of hot spells, but also had the lowest probabilities of a hot spell lasting for more than one day. This is probably due to the fact that lakeshore sites had lower over all average maximum temperatures and greater maximum temperature variance. Average frequencies of summer hot spell durations for warm, average, and cool summers were generated. The three summer types varied considerably. At inland sites, warm summers average 6.61 more hot spells and 19.5 more hot spell days than cool summers. It was found that the first-order autoregressive model which relied only on the autocorrelation coefficient and a random error term could not reproduce synthetic hot spells with the same frequency and magnitude that was exhibited in the empirical data. It is surmised that anticyclones or highs which may persist for days and cause hot spell conditions may not be modeled well by a firstorder autoregressive process.M.S. (Master of Science