Conceptualization of Organizational Empowerment: A Study of North Korean Refugee Organizations

Session 3: International. Presenter: Sook Hyun Kim, Ph.D., Boston University (2011) - "Conceptualization of Organizational Empowerment: A Study of North Korean Refugee Organizations".The Ohio State University College of Social Wor

Cell Therapy in Huntington’s Disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. Expanded cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats (polyQ) in the huntingtin gene cause the aggregates of abnormally expanded polyQ-containing huntingtin protein, and striatal medium spiny neurons are shown to be the most vulnerable. Affected patients develop cognitive, motor, and psychiatric symptoms typically in middle age, and several pharmacological drugs are currently used for symptomatic relief. Since the effect of current therapies is very limited and there is no way to modify disease progression, there is an unmet need for developing new therapies for HD. Toxin or genetic rodent models are widely used for drug development, and large animal models are also available. Previous studies transplanting cells originating from embryonic or fetal striatal tissues, neural stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in HD animal models have shown the possibilities of clinical trials. Because clinical trials performed using human fetal striatal cells have shown variable outcomes, future directions of cell therapy in HD should consider the reconstitution of a functional dynamic information-processing circuit without ectopic connections. Another major challenge is to achieve controlled differentiation of embryonic stem cells or iPSCs into specific neuronal phenotypes

Concert recording 2019-10-29

[Track 1]. From Deux melodies hebraiques. Kaddish / Maurice Ravel -- [Track 2]. From Morike Liederbuch. Der Genesene an die Hoffnung [Track 3]. Denk\u27es, o Seele! [Track 4]. Wo find\u27 ich Trost [Track 5]. Gebet / Hugo Wolf -- [Track 6]. Canata. Prelude Rondo (Peter go ring dem bells) Recitative (Sometimes I feel like a motherless child) Air (Let us break bread together) Toccata (Ride on King Jesus) / John Carter -- [Track 7]. Korean spiritual songs. Yeo-hun wanun nae mokzasini (Jehovah is my Shepherd) Psalm 23 / Unyoung Na -- [Track 8]. Narul badu opsoseo (Lord please take me) / Deok-Shin Choi -- [Track 9]. From Chants de Terre et de Ciel. I. Bail avec Mi [Track 10]. IV. Resurrection / Olivier Messiaen

A study on the changes of vietnam since 1970’s : focusing on the good governance policies implemented by international organizations

This paper is a study on the factors affecting the changes of the political system of Vietnam that has attempted a reform within the system through its reform and open-door policy. The study originates in the interest in whether Vietnam could continue its changes of system via economic reform, and whether the economic reform could affect the reform of the political system. One assumption of the study is that the answer to which path Vietnamese socialism would take should be first found in understanding the factors influencing the changes of the system of Vietnam

The Evaluation of CP-001 (a Standardized Herbal Mixture of Houttuynia cordata

In the present study, the effect of CP-001, a standardized herbal mixture of Houttuynia cordata, Rehmannia glutinosa, Betula platyphylla, and Rubus coreanus, on cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme-mediated drug metabolism was investigated in vitro to evaluate the potential for herb-drug interactions. CP-001 was tested at concentrations of 1, 3, 10, 30, and 100 μg/mL. A CYP-specific substrate mixture was incubated with CP-001 in human liver microsomes, and the metabolites generated by each CYP-specific metabolic reaction were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. CP-001 seemed to slightly inhibit some CYP isozymes, but the IC50 values for all CYP isozymes were greater than 100 μg/mL. Furthermore, CP-001 did not exhibit time-dependent CYP inhibitory activities, indicating that it does not act as a mechanism-based inactivator of CYP enzymes. In conclusion, the effects of CP-001 on CYP isozyme activities were negligible at the concentrations tested. Therefore, the likelihood of herbal mixture-drug interaction is considered minimal

Germ cell-specific gene 1 targets testis-specific poly(A) polymerase to the endoplasmic reticulum through protein–protein interactions

AbstractTestis-specific poly(A) polymerase (TPAP) is a cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase that is highly expressed in round spermatids. We identified germ cell-specific gene 1 (GSG1) as a TPAP interaction partner protein using yeast two-hybrid and coimmunoprecipitation assays. Subcellular fractionation analysis showed that GSG1 is exclusively localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of mouse testis where TPAP is also present. In NIH3T3 cells cotransfected with TPAP and GSG1, both proteins colocalize in the ER. Moreover, expression of GSG1 stimulates TPAP targeting to the ER, suggesting that interactions between the two proteins lead to the redistribution of TPAP from the cytosol to the ER.Structured summaryMINT-6168263:Gsg1 (uniprotkb:Q8R1W2), TPAP (uniprotkb:Q9WVP6) and Calmegin (uniprotkb:P52194) colocalize (MI:0403) by cosedimentation (MI:0027)MINT-6168204, MINT-6168178:Gsg1 (uniprotkb:Q8R1W2) and TPAP (uniprotkb:Q9WVP6) colocalize (MI:0403) by fluorescence microscopy (MI:0416)MINT-6167930:Gsg1 (uniprotkb:Q8R1W2) physically interacts (MI:0218) with TPAP (uniprotkb:Q9WVP6) by two-hybrid (MI:0018)MINT-6168112, MINT-6168011, MINT-6168054:Gsg1 (uniprotkb:Q8R1W2) physically interacts (MI:0218) with TPAP (uniprotkb:Q9WVP6) by coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0019)MINT-61668069, MINT-6168101:Gsg1 (uniprotkb:Q8R1W2) physically interacts (MI:0218) with TPAP (uniprotkb:Q9WVP6) by pull-down (MI:0096)MINT-6168218:Gsg1 (uniprotkb:Q8R1W2) and GRP78 (uniprotkb:P20029) colocalize (MI:0403) by fluorescence microscopy (MI:0416)MINT-6168381:TPAP (uniprotkb:Q9WVP6) and GRP78 (uniprotkb:P20029) colocalize (MI:0403) by fluorescence microscopy (MI:0416

NKT cells promote antibody-induced joint inflammation by suppressing transforming growth factor β1 production

Although NKT cells has been known to exert protective roles in the development of autoimmune diseases, the functional roles of NKT cells in the downstream events of antibody-induced joint inflammation remain unknown. Thus, we explored the functional roles of NKT cells in antibody-induced arthritis using the K/BxN serum transfer model. NKT cell–deficient mice were resistant to the development of arthritis, and wild-type mice administrated with α-galactosyl ceramide, a potent NKT cell activator, aggravated arthritis. In CD1d−/− mice, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 was found to be elevated in joint tissues, and the blockade of TGF-β1 using neutralizing monoclonal antibodies restored arthritis. The administration of recombinant TGF-β1 into C57BL/6 mice reduced joint inflammation. Moreover, the adoptive transfer of NKT cells into CD1d−/− mice restored arthritis and reduced TGF-β1 production. In vitro assay demonstrated that interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-γ were involved in suppressing TGF-β1 production in joint cells. The adoptive transfer of NKT cells from IL-4−/− or IFN-γ−/− mice did not reverse arthritis and TGF-β1 production in CD1d−/− mice. In conclusion, NKT cells producing IL-4 and IFN-γ play a role in immune complex–induced joint inflammation by regulating TGF-β1