Nectarine promotes longevity in Drosophila melanogaster.

Fruits containing high antioxidant capacities and other bioactivities are ideal for promoting longevity and health span. However, few fruits are known to improve the survival and health span in animals, let alone the underlying mechanisms. Here we investigate the effects of nectarine, a globally consumed fruit, on life span and health span in Drosophila melanogaster. Wild-type flies were fed standard, dietary restriction (DR), or high-fat diet supplemented with 0-4% nectarine extract. We measured life span, food intake, locomotor activity, fecundity, gene expression changes, and oxidative damage indicated by the level of 4-hydroxynonenal-protein adduct in these flies. We also measured life span, locomotor activity, and oxidative damage in sod1 mutant flies on the standard diet supplemented with 0-4% nectarine. Supplementation with 4% nectarine extended life span, increased fecundity, and decreased expression of some metabolic genes, including a key gluconeogenesis gene, PEPCK, and oxidative stress-response genes, including peroxiredoxins, in female wild-type flies fed the standard, DR, or high-fat diet. Nectarine reduced oxidative damage in wild-type females fed the high-fat diet. Moreover, nectarine improved the survival of and reduced oxidative damage in female sod1 mutant flies. Together, these findings suggest that nectarine promotes longevity and health span partly by modulating glucose metabolism and reducing oxidative damage

Eine Arbeitslosenversicherung für den Euroraum als automatischer Stabilisator

Die vorliegende Studie analysiert die makroökonomischen Stabilisierungs- und mikroökonomischen Verteilungswirkungen der Einführung einer Europäischen Arbeitslosenversicherung. Auf Grundlage dynamischer makroökonomischer Simulationen wird gezeigt, dass ein solches Transfersystem innerhalb des Euroraums – je nach Ausgestaltung – zu einer merklichen Stabilisierung der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung geführt hätte. Dies gilt selbst für eine gemessen am Transferumfang relativ kleine Europäische Arbeitslosenversicherung mit einer maximalen Bezugszeit von sechs Monaten und einer Nettoersatzquote von 30 Prozent; mit größerem Leistungsumfang steigt die Stabilisierungswirkung, aber im Gegenzug auch die möglicherweise unerwünschten Wirkungen auf Arbeitsanreize und das Ausmaß der Umverteilung zwischen den Mitgliedsländern. Die Verteilungswirkungen dürften insgesamt aus politischer Sicht unproblematisch sein; tendenziell finden sich leicht progressive bis neutrale Effekte auf die Einkommensverteilung, Haushalte mit niedrigeren Einkommen profitieren also überproportional von der Einführung einer Europäischen Arbeitslosenversicherung

Characterization of the CD44 v6 transcripts expressed in resting and activated human peripheral blood cells / by Peter Laslo.

Errata sheet on front end-paper.Includes bibliography (leaves 171-204).xv, 204, [121] leaves : ill. (chiefly col.) ; 30 cm.Examines the CD44 v6 transcripts in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells with specific aims to: define the CD44 v6 exon containing transcripts expressed in resting peripheral blood mononuclear cells; characterize expression of these transcripts following in vitro and in vivo cellular activation by respective analysis of mitogenically stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from renal transplant patients; and, individually clone the CD44 v6 full length cDNA transcripts and ascertain their functional role during T cell activation.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Medicine, 199

A Two-Step, PU.1-Dependent Mechanism for Developmentally Regulated Chromatin Remodeling and Transcription of the c-fms Gene

Hematopoietic stem cells and multipotent progenitors exhibit low-level transcription and partial chromatin reorganization of myeloid cell-specific genes including the c-fms (csf1R) locus. Expression of the c-fms gene is dependent on the Ets family transcription factor PU.1 and is upregulated during myeloid differentiation, enabling committed macrophage precursors to respond to colony-stimulating factor 1. To analyze molecular mechanisms underlying the transcriptional priming and developmental upregulation of the c-fms gene, we have utilized myeloid progenitors lacking the transcription factor PU.1. PU.1 can bind to sites in both the c-fms promoter and the c-fms intronic regulatory element (FIRE enhancer). Unlike wild-type progenitors, the PU.1(−/−) cells are unable to express c-fms or initiate macrophage differentiation. When PU.1 was reexpressed in mutant progenitors, the chromatin structure of the c-fms promoter was rapidly reorganized. In contrast, assembly of transcription factors at FIRE, acquisition of active histone marks, and high levels of c-fms transcription occurred with significantly slower kinetics. We demonstrate that the reason for this differential activation was that PU.1 was required to promote induction and binding of a secondary transcription factor, Egr-2, which is important for FIRE enhancer activity. These data suggest that the c-fms promoter is maintained in a primed state by PU.1 in progenitor cells and that at FIRE PU.1 functions with another transcription factor to direct full activation of the c-fms locus in differentiated myeloid cells. The two-step mechanism of developmental gene activation that we describe here may be utilized to regulate gene activity in a variety of developmental pathways

Determination of the 209Bi(n,gamma) Capture Cross Section at a Cold Neutron Beam.

Abstract not availableJRC.D-Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (Geel