The Frank Caro/C.T. Loo Archive: Treasures of the Eye and the Mind

Conference paper presented March 25-26, 2011.The Frank Caro/C. T. Loo Archive in the IFA, NYU, is a two-fold treasure. It preserves a visual record of Chinese art in North America from the 1930s through the 1960s as it passed through the hands of the premier dealer of Chinese art, C. T. Loo, and his successor Frank Caro. Encompassing Shang bronzes, Buddhist sculpture, Song paintings and Ching Dynasty decorative objects, it is a panorama of master works now in public collections across the country and an incomparable document of provenance. In addition, the archive preserves at least part of its original structure: index cards of works sold and unsold in several iterations of the business; huge (and fragile) glass negatives of photos from the 1930s apparently from C. T. Loo's Paris establishment; hundreds of celluloid negatives with the dimensions and purchasers carefully noted on the frail glassine sleeves, and a card file recording the shift of works from the Loo numbering systems to the Caro system. These records allow one to trace the business of Chinese art in the 20th century as well as its aesthetic appreciation. At present un-indexed and without cross-references, the archive yields its information only to the most tenacious researcher.Conference supported by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the NYU Humanities Initiative, the IFA Visual Resources Collections, and Princeton University, Department of Art and Archaeology, Visual Resources Collectio

The influence of student affairs professionals' spirituality on the development of college students: a phenomenological study

Increasing attention on the topic of spirituality in higher education points to empirical research that highlights students' needs, desire, and expectations for engagement in spiritual matters in college. However, student affairs professionals struggle in their efforts to guide students in the spiritual aspect of their development. This qualitative study explores how the spirituality of student affairs professionals' at a California public research university influences their responses to students' spiritual development and exploration of life's big questions. The following research questions guided this study: 1) How do student affairs professionals define and describe spirituality 2) How do student affairs professionals describe the role of spiritual development within the larger mission of student affairs work? 3) In what ways does the spirituality of student affairs professionals influence their approach to the spiritual development of students? This phenomenological study consisted of thirteen student affairs professionals. The data was derived from semi-structured interviews, observations, and artifact analysis. The data analysis was conducted manually and with data software to obtain emergent themes. The five major findings were: 1. Nearly all of the participants define spirituality as an "inner" and "personal" journey. 2. All of the participants indicated that spirituality is an important aspect of life. 3. All of the participants indicated that they leverage personal sharing as an approach to engaging students in meaningful dialogue about spiritual matters. 4. Most of the participants indicated they had experienced students grappling with what they perceived to be spiritual matters. 5. Most of participants connected spirituality to the social justice commitment to student affairs work. The results were: (a) The spiritual development of students poses unique and difficult challenges for student affairs professionals seeking to practice whole student development, (b) Despite the lack of clarity about spirituality, student affairs professionals do engage in the spiritual development of students, (c) Spirituality is intricately connected to the work of student affairs professional through the student affairs social justice mission, and (d) Ambiguity regarding the spiritual development of students may hamper student affairs professionals' effectiveness in providing whole student development. Recommendations for student affairs professionals and further research were included.Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Management -- Drexel University, 201

Effect of transforming growth factor-β1 on functional expression of monocarboxylate transporter 1 in alveolar epithelial A549 cells

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to the development of severe lung diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis. Recently, it has been reported that EMT involves complex metabolic reprogramming triggered by several factors including transforming growth factor (TGF-β1) and that monocarboxylate transporter (MCT1) plays an essential role in these metabolic changes. The aim of the present study was to clarify the functional expression of MCT1 during TGF-β1-induced EMT in alveolar epithelial A549 cells. The transport function of MCT1 in A549 cells was examined using [3H]γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and [3H] lactic acid (LA) as substrates and α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate (CHC), lactic acid, phloretin, and AR-C155858 (AR) as inhibitors of MCT1. EMT was induced by treating the cells with TGF-β1. mRNA and protein expression levels were analyzed using real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Time-, temperature-, and pH-dependent GHB and LA uptake were observed in A549 cells. CHC, lactic acid, phloretin, and AR significantly inhibited the uptake of GHB in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting that MCT1 is primarily responsible for transport of monocarboxylates such as GHB and LA in A549 cells. TGF-β1 treatment significantly enhanced GHB and LA uptake as well as the mRNA and protein expression levels of MCT1 in A549 cells. These changes were neutralized by co-treatment with SB431542, an inhibitor for the TGF-β1 signaling pathway. CHC and AR had no effect on TGF-β1-induced EMT-related gene expression changes. Here, we have clearly characterized functional expression of MCT1 in A549 cells and have shown that MCT1 may be upregulated via the TGF-β1 signaling pathway.This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences (JSPS) (numbers; 26293033, 15 K08074, and 16 K18945)

Hepatitis E virus in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) captured around pig farm

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) transmitted via the oral route through the consumption of contaminated water or uncooked or undercooked contaminated meat has been implicated in major outbreaks. Rats may play a critical role in HEV outbreaks, considering their negative effects on environmental hygiene and food sanitation. Although the serological evidence of HEV infection in wild rodents has been reported worldwide, the infectivity and propagation of HEV in wild rats remain unknown. To investigate if rats are a possible carrier of HEV, we studied wild Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) that were caught near a pig farm, where HEV was prevalent among the pigs. METHODS: We examined 56 Norway rats for HEV. RNA from internal organs was examined for RT-PCR and positive samples were sequenced. Positive tissue samples were incubated with A549 cell line to isolate HEV. Anti-HEV antibodies were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Sixteen rats were seropositive, and the HEV RNA was detected in 10 of the 56 rats. Sequencing of the partial ORF1 gene from 7 samples resulted in partially sequenced HEV, belonging to genotype 3, which was genetically identical to the HEV prevalent in the swine from the source farm. The infectious HEVs were isolated from the Norway rats by using the human A549 cell line. CONCLUSIONS: There was a relatively high prevalence (17.9%) of the HEV genome in wild Norway rats. The virus was mainly detected in the liver and spleen. The results indicate that these animals might be possible carrier of swine HEV in endemic regions. The HEV contamination risk due to rats needs to be examined in human habitats

Isospin Mixing for the Isobaric-Analog-State Spreading-Width Derived from the (p,nIASP) Reactions on 140Ce, 172,174,176Yb and 208 Pb

開始ページ、終了ページ: 冊子体のページ付

生後早期のラットでは免疫ストレスによるLH分泌抑制反応が確立されていない

Some physiological functions display weak responses to stress in the early neonatal period; i.e., theyexhibit stress hyporesponse periods. In this study, we evaluated whether gonadotropin regulatory fac-tors exhibit stress hyporesponsive periods in male and female rats. Rats were intraperitoneally injectedwith lipopolysaccharide (100 μg/kg) (LPS group) or saline (control group) on postnatal day (PND) 5,10, 15, or 25. Then, their serum luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations and hypothalamic mRNAlevels of gonadotropin regulatory factors; i.e., kisspeptin (Kiss1), the kisspeptin receptor (Kiss1r), andgonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), were measured at 2 h after the injection. The hypothalamicmRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were also measured because they suppress gonadotropinsecretion. The serum LH concentration of the LPS group was lower than that of the control group atPND25 in both sexes, but no such difference was seen at PND5, 10, or 15 in either sex. In both sexes,the hypothalamic tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α and interleukin (IL)-6 mRNA expression levels of the LPSgroup were higher than those of the control group at PND25, but not at PND5 or 10. The hypothalamicIL-1β mRNA expression level of the LPS group was higher than that of the control group at all time points. The hypothalamic Kiss1, Kiss1r, and GnRH mRNA expression levels of the LPS and control groups did notdiffer at any time point in either sex. These findings suggest that gonadotropin regulatory factors exhibitstress hyporesponse periods. The hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG) might become responsiveto immune stress between PND15 and 25, which could be related to enhanced hypothalamic cytokineexpression. The avoidance of infectious stress during the early neonatal period might be important fornormal development of the HPG axis

Diagnosis of PCOS by Revised T Assay

Hyperandrogenemia has become an important factor in the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), in Japan as well as Western countries, since the Japanese PCOS diagnostic criteria were revised in 2007. The revised electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) reagent for total testosterone (T) (ECLusys TESTO II ; New T assay), which has lower cross-reactivity with DHEA-S than the previous reagent (ECLusys TESTO I ; Old T assay), has recently been developed. We studied the improvement between New and Old T assays in regards to the diagnostic performance of serum T for patients with PCOS. Serum T levels were measured in both normal women (Control, n=92) and PCOS patients (n=86). The rate of elevated T using each kit was significantly higher in the PCOS group than in the Control group, and significantly higher using New T assay (38/86, 44.2%) compared with Old T assay (26/86, 30.2%). A significant correlation was found between T level and body mass index, but not LH level. Furthermore, higher detection rates of hormonal abnormalities were seen in PCOS patients using combined measurement of both T and LH (63/80) compared with single measurement of either T (37/80) or LH (36/80). Therefore, the serum T assay is essential for the diagnosis of PCOS, and New T assay combined with the LH assay may improve the diagnostic process for PCOS

胎生期に低栄養を経験した雌ラットにおける加齢時の食欲促進因子および抑制因子の発現に関する研究

Fetal growth retardation, which affects short- and long-term fetal brain development, is associated with metabolic, hematological, and thermal disturbances, which can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome later in life. Orexigenic and anorexigenic factors regulate food intake and energy expenditure. We studied how the expression of these factors was affected by food deprivation (FD) in middle-aged female rats that had been subjected to prenatal undernutrition. Eight pregnant rats were divided into two groups,the normal nutrition (NN) (n = 4) group and the undernutrition (UN) (n = 4) group, which received 50%(approximately 11 g) of the daily food intake of the normal nutrition rats from day 13 of pregnancy to delivery. The pups from these dams were defined as the maternal NN (mNN) and maternal UN (mUN) groups, respectively. After weaning, all of the pups were housed and allowed ad libitum access to food and water. At the age of 6 months, both groups of pups were sub-divided into three groups. One group was allowed to consume normal amounts of food (Fed), and the other two groups were subjected to 24 h or 48 h FD (n = 7–8 per group). The rats’ serum leptin levels and hypothalamic mRNA expression levels of various orexigenic or anorexigenic factors were measured. In both the mNN and mUN rats, the serum leptin levels of the 24 h and 48 h FD groups tended to be lower than those of the Fed group, and the serum leptin levels of the 24 h FD mUN rats and the Fed mUN rats differed significantly. The hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA expression levels of the 24 h and 48 h FD groups were significantly higher in the mUN rats than in the mNN rats. In addition, among the mUN rats the hypothalamic NPY mRNA expression levels of the 48 h FD group were significantly higher than those of the Fed group. In both the mNN and mUN rats, prepro-orexin mRNA expression was lower in the 48 h FD group than in the corresponding Fed group. Among the mUN rats, the 48 h FD group exhibited significantly lower hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA expression than the Fed group, and a similar tendency was seen among the mNN rats. Among the mNN rats, the 24 h FD group displayed significantly higher hypothalamic leptin receptor (OBRb) mRNA levels than the Fed group. However, no such differences were seen among the mUN rats. As a result, the hypothalamic OBRb mRNA expression levels of the mUN rats in the 24 h and 48 h FD groups were lower than those of the corresponding mNN rat groups. These findings indicate that rats that are subjected to prenatal undernutrition exhibit upregulated expression of orexigenic factors and are more sensitive to FD in middle age, which might increase their risk of developing metabolic disorders in later life