Petroleum degradation by naturally occurring populations of marine bacteria from Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf waters

Bacterial populations indigenous to surface (1 m) waters of the Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf were sampled at seasonal intervals to determine the abundance and distribution of petroleum-degrading (HC) and total heterotrophic (HET) bacteria. Simultaneously, unweathered South Louisiana crude oil (SLCO) was added to aliquots of surface water samples to evaluate rates and patterns of degradation of hydrocarbon. Degradation was studied using selected nutrient and temperature regimes in both closed flask and prototype open or continuous dilution systems. HET bacterial levels generally decreased with distance from land (x inshore = 6 x 10(\u274) MPN/ml to x offshore = 6 x 10(\u272) MPN/ml). HC bacteria were most abundant in the coastal boundary layer (x = 2 x 10(\u272) MPN/ml). Changes in values of HC/HET often were not directly related to the abundance of petroleum-degrading bacteria. In closed flasks the composition of bacterial populations changed slightly in response to SLCO addition; Pseudomonas predominated after 48 days. Pseudomonas isolates exhibited the greatest ability for petroleum degradation in pure cultures. Degradation of SLCO in closed flasks characteristically resulted in removal of n-alkanes and selected aromatics at rates related to season, sampling location, and nutrient regime. Aromatic compounds were often removed concomitantly with n-alkanes. Although maximum rates of degradation were observed at 15�C using coastal water inocula and inorganic nutrient enrichment, all shelf waters sampled contained bacteria capable of petroleum degradation

The Causes and Consequences of Low Levels of High Density Lipoproteins in Patients with Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is commonly accompanied by a low level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) that contributes to the increased cardiovascular risk associated with this condition. Given that HDLs have the ability to improve increase the uptake of glucose by skeletal muscle and to stimulate the secretion of insulin from pancreatic beta cells the possibility arises that a low HDL concentration in type 2 diabetes may also contribute to a worsening of diabetic control. Thus, there is a double case for raising the level of HDL-C in patients with type 2 diabetes: to reduce cardiovascular risk and to improve glycemic control. Approaches to raising HDL-C include lifestyle factors such as weight reduction, increased physical activity and stopping smoking. Of currently available drugs, the most effective is niacin. Newer formulations of niacin are reasonably well tolerated and have the ability to increase HDL-C by up to 30%. The effect of niacin on cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes is currently being tested in a large-scale clinical outcome trial

Doxorubicin and paclitaxel enhance the antitumor efficacy of vaccines directed against HER 2/neu in a murine mammary carcinoma model

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents administered prior to immunotherapy with gene vaccines could augment the efficacy of the vaccines. METHODS: Mice were injected in the mammary fat pad with an aggressive breast tumor cell line that expresses HER2/neu. The mice were treated 3 days later with a noncurative dose of either doxorubicin or paclitaxel, and the following day with a gene vaccine to HER2/neu. Two more doses of vaccine were given 14 days apart. Two types of gene vaccines were tested: a plasmid vaccine encoding a self-replicating RNA (replicon) of Sindbis virus (SINCP), in which the viral structural proteins were replaced by the gene for neu; and a viral replicon particle derived from an attenuated strain of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, containing a replicon RNA in which the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus structural proteins were replaced by the gene for neu. RESULTS: Neither vaccination alone nor chemotherapy alone significantly reduced the growth of the mammary carcinoma. In contrast, chemotherapy followed by vaccination reduced tumor growth by a small, but significant amount. Antigen-specific CD8(+ )T lymphocytes were induced by the combined treatment, indicating that the control of tumor growth was most probably due to an immunological mechanism. The results demonstrated that doxorubicin and paclitaxel, commonly used chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of breast cancer, when used at immunomodulating doses augmented the antitumor efficacy of gene vaccines directed against HER2/neu. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of chemotherapeutic agents plus vaccine immunotherapy may induce a tumor-specific immune response that could be beneficial for the adjuvant treatment of patients with minimal residual disease. The regimen warrants further evaluation in a clinical setting

Sequence of a complete chicken BG haplotype shows dynamic expansion and contraction of two gene lineages with particular expression patterns.

Many genes important in immunity are found as multigene families. The butyrophilin genes are members of the B7 family, playing diverse roles in co-regulation and perhaps in antigen presentation. In humans, a fixed number of butyrophilin genes are found in and around the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and show striking association with particular autoimmune diseases. In chickens, BG genes encode homologues with somewhat different domain organisation. Only a few BG genes have been characterised, one involved in actin-myosin interaction in the intestinal brush border, and another implicated in resistance to viral diseases. We characterise all BG genes in B12 chickens, finding a multigene family organised as tandem repeats in the BG region outside the MHC, a single gene in the MHC (the BF-BL region), and another single gene on a different chromosome. There is a precise cell and tissue expression for each gene, but overall there are two kinds, those expressed by haemopoietic cells and those expressed in tissues (presumably non-haemopoietic cells), correlating with two different kinds of promoters and 5' untranslated regions (5'UTR). However, the multigene family in the BG region contains many hybrid genes, suggesting recombination and/or deletion as major evolutionary forces. We identify BG genes in the chicken whole genome shotgun sequence, as well as by comparison to other haplotypes by fibre fluorescence in situ hybridisation, confirming dynamic expansion and contraction within the BG region. Thus, the BG genes in chickens are undergoing much more rapid evolution compared to their homologues in mammals, for reasons yet to be understood.This is the final published version. It was originally published by PLOS in PLOS Genetics here: http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pgen.1004417

A TALE OF TWO CITIES: A CASE STUDY ON THE USE OF TAX INCREMENT FINANCING AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL IN TEXAS

In looking at the variety of cities across the great State of Texas, you will find them in many different conditions. Some are small and undeveloped, with great opportunities for economic growth, while others have seen economic greatness and now suffer from economic decline. Regardless of the condition of the city, this paper explores the opportunity that cities have to ignite economic health and bring financial stability to a district within the city or even the city as a whole. This paper reviews two cities that have used Tax Increment Financing, an economic development tool, to develop and redevelop areas of their cities that held huge potential for growth. For Frisco, Texas, it was the opportunity to spur economic growth that would lead to the development of the entire city. For Fort Worth, Texas, it was the opportunity to revitalize and develop a thriving modern community in the heart of their historic downtown. As this paper will show, Tax Increment Financing is a flexible resource that can be used in many different ways to address an array of economic development concerns cities may encounter. Understanding the different ways Tax Increment Financing can be used based on the goals a city hopes to achieve is critical to the implementation and the success of a TIF district in the State of Texas