The concept of rationality (an examination of some of the views of Peter Winch)

Thesis (M.A.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Philosophy, 198

Management Rights Issues in Collective Bargaining in Higher Education

Originally published by the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education in Proceedings, First Annual Conference, April 1973, Maurice C. Benewitz, Edito

Postpartum depression : epidemiology and theory

The etiology of postpartum depression was investigated within the framework of Aaron Beck’s cognitive theory of depression and within the framework of previous research on postpartum depression. One hundred thirty-two women completed questionnaires during the eighth month of pregnancy and during the second postpartum month. The prepartum questionnaires included a measure of depression, a measure of dysfunctional cognitions, and a prenatal questionnaire. The prenatal questionnaire assessed (a) the factors which purportedly lead to dysfunctional cognitions and (b) other social and psychological variables whose importance has been suggested by previous research on postpartum depression. During the puerperium, the depression and dysfunctional cognitions measures were readministered, along with a postpartum questionnaire that distinguished normal versus depressive features of the postpartum period

A duchenne muscular dystrophy gene hot spot mutation in dystrophin-deficient Cavalier King Charles Spaniels is amenable to exon 51 skipping

BACKGROUND Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), which afflicts 1 in 3500 boys, is one of the most common genetic disorders of children. This fatal degenerative condition is caused by an absence or deficiency of dystrophin in striated muscle. Most affected patients have inherited or spontaneous deletions in the dystrophin gene that disrupt the reading frame resulting in unstable truncated products. For these patients, restoration of the reading frame via antisense oligonucleotide-mediated exon skipping is a promising therapeutic approach. The major DMD deletion "hot spot" is found between exons 45 and 53, and skipping exon 51 in particular is predicted to ameliorate the dystrophic phenotype in the greatest number of patients. Currently the mdx mouse is the most widely used animal model of DMD, although its mild phenotype limits its suitability in clinical trials. The Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) model has a severe phenotype, but due to its large size, is expensive to use. Both these models have mutations in regions of the dystrophin gene distant from the commonly mutated DMD "hot spot". METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here we describe the severe phenotype, histopathological findings, and molecular analysis of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with dystrophin-deficient muscular dystrophy (CKCS-MD). The dogs harbour a missense mutation in the 5' donor splice site of exon 50 that results in deletion of exon 50 in mRNA transcripts and a predicted premature truncation of the translated protein. Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated skipping of exon 51 in cultured myoblasts from an affected dog restored the reading frame and protein expression. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Given the small size of the breed, the amiable temperament and the nature of the mutation, we propose that CKCS-MD is a valuable new model for clinical trials of antisense oligonucleotide-induced exon skipping and other therapeutic approaches for DMD

Different traits predict competitive effect versus response by Bromus madritensis in its native and invaded ranges

Community assembly and coexistence theories predict that both fitness and plant functional traits should influence competitive interactions between native and invasive species. The evolution of the increased competitive ability hypothesis predicts that species will grow larger (a measure of fitness) in their invaded than native range; hence we hypothesized that species might exert greater competitive effects in their invaded range, lessening the importance of functional traits for competitive outcomes. In a greenhouse experiment we compared traits and competitive interactions between Bromus madritensis (an annual grass) and resident species from its native range in Spain, and its invaded range in Southern California. As predicted, B. madritensis collected in California grew larger and had a greater competitive effect on resident species than B. madritensis collected in Spain. However, residents from California also suppressed the growth of B. madritensis more than species from its native range in Spain. Competitive interaction strengths were predicted by different suites of traits in the native versus invaded range of B. madritensis; surprisingly, however, size of the resident species (fitness), did not predict variation in competitive interactions. This study shows that different suites of traits may aid in identifying those native species likely to strongly compete with invaders, versus those that will be competitively suppressed by invaders, with important implications for the design of restoration efforts aimed at promoting native species growth and preventing invasion. More generally, our study shows that fitness differences may not be as important as traits when predicting competitive outcomes in this system

Detection of Viruses from Bioaerosols Using Anion Exchange Resin

This protocol demonstrates a customized bioaerosol sampling method for viruses. In this system, anion exchange resin is coupled with liquid impingement-based air sampling devices for efficacious concentration of negatively-charged viruses from bioaerosols. Thus, the resin serves as an additional concentration step in the bioaerosol sampling workflow. Nucleic acid extraction of the viral particles is then performed directly from the anion exchange resin, with the resulting sample suitable for molecular analyses. Further, this protocol describes a custom-built bioaerosol chamber capable of generating virus-laden bioaerosols under a variety of environmental conditions and allowing for continuous monitoring of environmental variables such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and aerosol mass concentration. The main advantage of using this protocol is increased sensitivity of viral detection, as assessed via direct comparison to an unmodified conventional liquid impinger. Other advantages include the potential to concentrate diverse negatively-charged viruses, the low cost of anion exchange resin (~$0.14 per sample), and ease of use. Disadvantages include the inability of this protocol to assess infectivity of resin-adsorbed viral particles, and potentially the need for the optimization of the liquid sampling buffer used within the impinger

Traditional multiwell plates and petri dishes limit the evaluation of the effects of ultrasound on cells in vitro

Ultrasound accelerates healing in fractured bone; however, the mechanisms responsible are poorly understood. Experimental setups and ultrasound exposures vary or are not adequately characterized across studies, resulting in inter-study variation and difficulty in concluding biological effects. This study investigated experimental variability introduced through the cell culture platform used. Continuous wave ultrasound (45 kHz; 10, 25 or 75 mW/cm2, 5 min/d) was applied, using a Duoson device, to Saos-2 cells seeded in multiwell plates or Petri dishes. Pressure field and vibration quantification and finite-element modelling suggested formation of complex interference patterns, resulting in localized displacement and velocity gradients, more pronounced in multiwell plates. Cell experiments revealed lower metabolic activities in both culture platforms at higher ultrasound intensities and absence of mineralization in certain regions of multiwell plates but not in Petri dishes. Thus, the same transducer produced variable results in different cell culture platforms. Analysis on Petri dishes further revealed that higher intensities reduced vinculin expression and distorted cell morphology, while causing mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum damage and accumulation of cells in sub-G1 phase, leading to cell death. More defined experimental setups and reproducible ultrasound exposure systems are required to study the real effect of ultrasound on cells for development of effective ultrasound-based therapies not just limited to bone repair and regeneration

Traditional multiwell plates and petri dishes limit the evaluation of the effects of ultrasound on cells in vitro

Ultrasound accelerates healing in fractured bone; however, the mechanisms responsible are poorly understood. Experimental setups and ultrasound exposures vary or are not adequately characterized across studies, resulting in inter-study variation and difficulty in concluding biological effects. This study investigated experimental variability introduced through the cell culture platform used. Continuous wave ultrasound (45 kHz; 10, 25 or 75 mW/cm2, 5 min/d) was applied, using a Duoson device, to Saos-2 cells seeded in multiwell plates or Petri dishes. Pressure field and vibration quantification and finite-element modelling suggested formation of complex interference patterns, resulting in localized displacement and velocity gradients, more pronounced in multiwell plates. Cell experiments revealed lower metabolic activities in both culture platforms at higher ultrasound intensities and absence of mineralization in certain regions of multiwell plates but not in Petri dishes. Thus, the same transducer produced variable results in different cell culture platforms. Analysis on Petri dishes further revealed that higher intensities reduced vinculin expression and distorted cell morphology, while causing mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum damage and accumulation of cells in sub-G1 phase, leading to cell death. More defined experimental setups and reproducible ultrasound exposure systems are required to study the real effect of ultrasound on cells for development of effective ultrasound-based therapies not just limited to bone repair and regeneration