Altered prostanoid production by fibroblasts cultured from the lungs of human subjects with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BACKGROUND: Prostanoids are known to participate in the process of fibrogenesis. Because lung fibroblasts produce prostanoids and are believed to play a central role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), we hypothesized that fibroblasts (HF) cultured from the lungs of patients with IPF (HF-IPF) have an altered balance between profibrotic (thromboxane [TX]A(2)) and antifibrotic (prostacyclin [PGI(2)]) prostaglandins (PGs) when compared with normal human lung fibroblasts (HF-NL). METHODS: We measured inducible cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 gene and protein expression, and a profile of prostanoids at baseline and after IL-1β stimulation. RESULTS: In both HF-IPF and HF-NL COX-2 expression was undetectable at baseline, but was significantly upregulated by IL-1β. PGE(2) was the predominant COX product in IL-1β-stimulated cells with no significant difference between HF-IPF and HF-NL (28.35 [9.09–89.09] vs. 17.12 [8.58–29.33] ng/10(6) cells/30 min, respectively; P = 0.25). TXB(2) (the stable metabolite of TXA(2)) production was significantly higher in IL-1β-stimulated HF-IPF compared to HF-NL (1.92 [1.27–2.57] vs. 0.61 [0.21–1.64] ng/10(6) cells/30 min, respectively; P = 0.007) and the ratio of PGI(2) (as measured by its stable metabolite 6-keto-PGF(1α)) to TXB(2) was significantly lower at baseline in HF-IPF (0.08 [0.04–0.52] vs. 0.12 [0.11–0.89] in HF-NL; P = 0.028) and with IL-1β stimulation (0.24 [0.05–1.53] vs. 1.08 [0.51–3.79] in HF-NL; P = 0.09). CONCLUSION: An alteration in the balance of profibrotic and antifibrotic PGs in HF-IPF may play a role in the pathogeneses of IPF

Environmental behavior of 14C-tagged polyacrylate polymer: Flow tank studies of retention in sand

A highly absorbent consumer-product, polyacrylate polymer material tagged with 14C was dosed to a simulated diaper and buried in a horizontal flow tank containing sand. Two slightly different formulations of the polymer exhibited a mobile fraction, 1.9 percent and 3.48 percent of which was discharged in the tank effluent during the passage of 6 pore volumes. Most of the remainder was retarded along the flow path near the source by the sand. It is expected that more conventional landfill soils would provide even greater retention of the polymer materials studied. The use of a 14C-tagged polymer proved to be a successful method for studying the behavior of these complex materials; pilot-scale studies are planned in lysimeters to determine if microbial decomposition affects the migration of these polymers under landfill conditions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/26930/1/0000496.pd

A SEPALLATA gene is involved in the development and ripening of strawberry (Fragaria xananassa Duch.) fruit, a non-climacteric tissue

Climacteric and non-climacteric fruits have traditionally been viewed as representing two distinct programmes of ripening associated with differential respiration and ethylene hormone effects. In climacteric fruits, such as tomato and banana, the ripening process is marked by increased respiration and is induced and co-ordinated by ethylene, while in non-climacteric fruits, such as strawberry and grape, it is controlled by an ethylene-independent process with little change in respiration rate. The two contrasting mechanisms, however, both lead to texture, colour, and flavour changes that probably reflect some common programmes of regulatory control. It has been shown that a SEPALLATA(SEP)4-like gene is necessary for normal ripening in tomato. It has been demonstrated here that silencing a fruit-related SEP1/2-like (FaMADS9) gene in strawberry leads to the inhibition of normal development and ripening in the petal, achene, and receptacle tissues. In addition, analysis of transcriptome profiles reveals pleiotropic effects of FaMADS9 on fruit development and ripening-related gene expression. It is concluded that SEP genes play a central role in the developmental regulation of ripening in both climacteric and non-climacteric fruits. These findings provide important information to extend the molecular control of ripening in a non-climacteric fruit beyond the limited genetic and cultural options currently available

High-radiation-zone design of the FMIT high-energy beam transport

The Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) deuteron linac, operating at 35 MeV and 100 mA continuous duty, is expected to spill 3 ..mu..A/m and to lose 10 ..mu..A at specific bending-magnet positions. The major impact of this spill will be felt in the High-Energy Beam Transport (HEBT), where many beam-line components must be maintained. A modular design concept, that uses segmented termination panels remotely located from the modules, is being employed. Radiation-hardened quadrupoles can be opened, clamshell fashion, to release the water-cooled beam tube replacement if there is beam damage or lithium contamination from the target. Termination panels contain electrical, water, and instrumentation fittings to service the module, and are positioned to allow room for neutron-absorbing shielding between the beamline and the panel. The modular construction allows laboratory prealignment and check-out of all components on a structural carriage and is adaptable to supporting gamma shields

Future vision for the quality assurance of oncology clinical trials

The National Cancer Institute clinical cooperative groups have been instrumental over the past 50 years in developing clinical trials and evidence-based process improvements for clinical oncology patient care. The cooperative groups are undergoing a transformation process as we further integrate molecular biology into personalized patient care and move to incorporate international partners in clinical trials. To support this vision, data acquisition and data management informatics tools must become both nimble and robust to support transformational research at an enterprise level. Information, including imaging, pathology, molecular biology, radiation oncology, surgery, systemic therapy, and patient outcome data needs to be integrated into the clinical trial charter using adaptive clinical trial mechanisms for design of the trial. This information needs to be made available to investigators using digital processes for real-time data analysis. Future clinical trials will need to be designed and completed in a timely manner facilitated by nimble informatics processes for data management. This paper discusses both past experience and future vision for clinical trials as we move to develop data management and quality assurance processes to meet the needs of the modern trial

Measuring Five Dimensions of Religiosity Across Adolescence

This paper theorizes and tests a latent variable model of adolescent religiosity in which five dimensions of religiosity are interrelated: religious beliefs, religious exclusivity, external religiosity, private practice, and religious salience. Research often theorizes overlapping and independent influences of single items or dimensions of religiosity on outcomes such as adolescent sexual behavior, but rarely operationalizes the dimensions in a measurement model accounting for their associations with each other and across time. We use longitudinal structural equation modeling (SEM) with latent variables to analyze data from two waves of the National Study of Youth and Religion. We test our hypothesized measurement model as compared to four alternate measurement models and find that our proposed model maintains superior fit. We then discuss the associations between the five dimensions of religiosity we measure and how these change over time. Our findings suggest how future research might better operationalize multiple dimensions of religiosity in studies of the influence of religion in adolescence

Gender Differences in Russian Colour Naming

In the present study we explored Russian colour naming in a web-based psycholinguistic experiment (http://www.colournaming.com). Colour singletons representing the Munsell Color Solid (N=600 in total) were presented on a computer monitor and named using an unconstrained colour-naming method. Respondents were Russian speakers (N=713). For gender-split equal-size samples (NF=333, NM=333) we estimated and compared (i) location of centroids of 12 Russian basic colour terms (BCTs); (ii) the number of words in colour descriptors; (iii) occurrences of BCTs most frequent non-BCTs. We found a close correspondence between females’ and males’ BCT centroids. Among individual BCTs, the highest inter-gender agreement was for seryj ‘grey’ and goluboj ‘light blue’, while the lowest was for sinij ‘dark blue’ and krasnyj ‘red’. Females revealed a significantly richer repertory of distinct colour descriptors, with great variety of monolexemic non-BCTs and “fancy” colour names; in comparison, males offered relatively more BCTs or their compounds. Along with these measures, we gauged denotata of most frequent CTs, reflected by linguistic segmentation of colour space, by employing a synthetic observer trained by gender-specific responses. This psycholinguistic representation revealed females’ more refined linguistic segmentation, compared to males, with higher linguistic density predominantly along the redgreen axis of colour space

The Vehicle, 1963, Vol. 5

Vol. 5 Table of Contents Milepostspage 3 Rhyme Conceived At DawnDaun Alan Leggpage 4 NightRoss Kokospage 4 UncrownedOra Blanche T. Kingpage 4 SunfishingL.J.G.page 5 The Man Who Went To New YorkEric Crookspage 7 The DreamPauline B. Smithpage 18 Open WindowsDavid Helmpage 19 SalvationChristine McCollpage 19 The Chess GamePierre Hooverpage 20 CataclysmRaymond Kapraunpage 20 A Microscopic ViewKenneth L. Vadovskypage 21 See How Love ComesLiz Puckettpage 21 A Can Of Beer For AndyKenneth L. Vadovskypage 22 A MonsterDixie Lee Motleypage 28 InconstancyJanice Brookspage 29 DreamerDaun Alan Leggpage 29 The Third WishGlenda Vursellpage 30 The MiracleJanice Brookspage 32 What Lives Where Love Once Dwelt?Vernell Vyvialpage 33 The Most Unforgettable Person I Have Ever KnownJames Flingpage 34 Winter ThoughtsPauline B. Smithpage 35 A Winter NightPeggy Lambertpage 35 The Silver WhaleL.J.G.page 36 RaindropsDixie Lee Motleypage 40 Conflict Of Soul IJean Konzelmanpage 40 JudyChristine McCollpage 41 Sadness No. 3 (Vergessen)Sherry Sue Frypage 41 Lost GoldLarry Pricepage 42 EchoesCharles Cooleypage 48 TruthDaun Alan Leggpage 48 SunsetCarol Bennettpage 48 Cover designTom Windsor Illustration for winning storyJoel E. Hendrickshttps://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1011/thumbnail.jp