510 research outputs found
Evaluating Workplace Mandates with Flows versus Stocks: An Application to California Paid Family Leave
Abstract. Employer mandates often have small effects on wages and employment. Such effects should be most evident using data on employment transitions and wages among new hires. Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI) provides county by quarter by demographic group data on the number and earnings of new hires, separations, and recalls (extended leaves). The QWI is used to examine the effects of California’s 2004 paid family leave (CPFL) program, comparing outcomes for young women in California to those for other workers within and outside of California. CPFL had little effect on earnings for young women, but increased separations, hiring, and worker mobility. JEL codes: J32 (nonwage labor costs), J38 (public policy
ICT & Collaborative Learning ~Collaborative Learning between Kansai University & University of Hawaii~
Kansai University students majoring in educational technology are provided opportunities to increase their teamwork skills and intercultural competencies through authentic learning, group work and collaborative projects, including a collaborative video project with University of Hawaii graduate students. These experiences are integrated into the ICT For Learning class taught each fall semester in the Faculty of Informatics
A facility for high resolution spectroscopy: Laboratory and ground based observations in support of upper atmospheric research
This research task consists of operating a facility for making spectroscopic observations in support of upper atmospheric research. The facility responds to the needs and interests of the visiting investigators. Therefore, the research objectives are not predetermined except in broad outline. The emphasis is on studies that take advantage of the particular strengths of the Fourier Transform Spectrometer on Kitt Peak: high spectral resolution combined with wide spectral range and low noise
The effects of chronic AMPK activation on hepatic triglyceride accumulation and glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase activity with high fat feeding
BACKGROUND: High fat feeding increases hepatic fat accumulation and is associated with hepatic insulin resistance. AMP Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) is thought to inhibit lipid synthesis by the acute inhibition of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) activity and transcriptional regulation via sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c). METHODS: The purpose of this study was to determine if chronic activation of AMPK prevented an increase in GPAT1 activity in rats fed a high fat diet. Rats were fed a control (C), or a high fat (HF) diet (60% fat) for 6 weeks and injected with saline or a daily aminoimidazole carboxamide ribnucleotide (AICAR) dose of 0.5 mg/g body weight. RESULTS: Chronic AMPK activation by AICAR injections resulted in a significant reduction in hepatic triglyceride accumulation in both the C and HF fed animals (C, 5.5±0.7; C+AICAR, 2.7 ±0.3; HF, 21.8±3.3; and HF+AICAR, 8.0±1.8 mg/g liver). HF feeding caused an increase in total GPAT and GPAT1 activity, which was not affected by chronic AMPK activation (GPAT1 activity vs. C, C+AICAR, 92±19%; HF, 186±43%; HF+AICAR, 234±62%). Markers of oxidative capacity, including citrate synthase activity and cytochrome c abundance, were not affected by chronic AICAR treatment. Interestingly, HF feeding caused a significant increase in long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase or LCAD (up 66% from C), a marker of fatty acid oxidation capacity. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that chronic AMPK activation limits hepatic triglyceride accumulation independent of a reduction in total GPAT1 activity
Light Curves and Period Changes of Type II Cepheids in the Globular Clusters M3 and M5
Light curves in the B, V, and I_c passbands have been obtained for the type
II Cepheids V154 in M3 and V42 and V84 in M5. Alternating cycle behavior,
similar to that seen among RV Tauri variables, is confirmed for V84. Old and
new observations, spanning more than a century, show that V154 has increased in
period while V42 has decreased in period. V84, on the other hand, has shown
large, erratic changes in period that do not appear to reflect the long term
evolution of V84 through the HR diagram.Comment: 28 pages, 12 figure
Reduced cytochrome P4501A activity and recovery from oxidative stress during subchronic benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[e]pyrene treatment of rainbow trout
Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2011. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 254 (2011): 1-7, doi:10.1016/j.taap.2011.04.015.This
study
assessed
the
role
of
aryl
hydrocarbon
receptor
(AHR)
affinity,
and
cytochrome
P4501A
(CYP1A)
protein
and
activity
in
polyaromatic
hydrocarbon
(PAH)-‐induced
oxidative
stress.
In
the
1-‐100
nM
concentration
range
benzo[a]pyrene
(BaP)
but
not
benzo[e]pyrene
(BeP)
competitively
displaced
2
nM
[3H]2,
3,
7,
8-‐tetrachloro-‐dibenzo-‐p-‐dioxin
from
rainbow
trout
AHR2α.
Based
on
appearance
of
fluorescent
aromatic
compounds
in
bile
over
3,
7,
14,
28
or
50
days
of
feeding
3
μg
of
BaP
or
BeP/g
fish/day,
rainbow
trout
liver
readily
excreted
these
polyaromatic
hydrocarbons
(PAHs)
and
their
metabolites
at
near
steady
state
rates.
CYP1A
proteins
catalyzed
more
than
98%
of
ethoxyresorufin-‐O-‐deethylase
(EROD)
activity
in
rainbow
trout
hepatic
microsomes.
EROD
activity
of
hepatic
microsomes
initially
increased
and
then
decreased
to
control
activities
after
50
days
of
feeding
both
PAHs.
Immunohistochemistry
of
liver
confirmed
CYP1A
protein
increased
in
fish
fed
both
PAHs
after
3
days
and
remained
elevated
for
up
to
28
days.
Neither
BaP
nor
BeP
increased
hepatic
DNA
adduct
concentrations
at
any
time
up
to
50
days
of
feeding
these
PAHs.
Comet
assays
of
blood
cells
demonstrated
marked
DNA
damage
after
14
days
of
feeding
both
PAHs
that
was
not
significant
after
50
days.
There
was
a
strong
positive
correlation
between
hepatic
EROD
activity
and
DNA
damage
in
blood
cells
over
time
for
both
PAHs.
Neither
CYP1A
protein
nor
3-‐
nitrotyrosine
(a
biomarker
for
oxidative
stress)
immunostaining
in
trunk
kidney
were
significantly
altered
by
BaP
or
BeP
after
3,
7,
14,
or
28
days.
There
was
no
clear
association
between
AHR2α
affinity
and
BaP
and
BeP-‐induced
oxidative
stress.The
Oregon
Agricultural
Experiment
Station,
Northwest
Fisheries
Science
Center,
and
RO1ES006272
from
the
National
Institute
of
Health
supported
this
work
Genome co-amplification upregulates a mitotic gene network activity that predicts outcome and response to mitotic protein inhibitors in breast cancer.
BACKGROUND: High mitotic activity is associated with the genesis and progression of many cancers. Small molecule inhibitors of mitotic apparatus proteins are now being developed and evaluated clinically as anticancer agents. With clinical trials of several of these experimental compounds underway, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms that determine high mitotic activity, identify tumor subtypes that carry molecular aberrations that confer high mitotic activity, and to develop molecular markers that distinguish which tumors will be most responsive to mitotic apparatus inhibitors. METHODS: We identified a coordinately regulated mitotic apparatus network by analyzing gene expression profiles for 53 malignant and non-malignant human breast cancer cell lines and two separate primary breast tumor datasets. We defined the mitotic network activity index (MNAI) as the sum of the transcriptional levels of the 54 coordinately regulated mitotic apparatus genes. The effect of those genes on cell growth was evaluated by small interfering RNA (siRNA). RESULTS: High MNAI was enriched in basal-like breast tumors and was associated with reduced survival duration and preferential sensitivity to inhibitors of the mitotic apparatus proteins, polo-like kinase, centromere associated protein E and aurora kinase designated GSK462364, GSK923295 and GSK1070916, respectively. Co-amplification of regions of chromosomes 8q24, 10p15-p12, 12p13, and 17q24-q25 was associated with the transcriptional upregulation of this network of 54 mitotic apparatus genes, and we identify transcription factors that localize to these regions and putatively regulate mitotic activity. Knockdown of the mitotic network by siRNA identified 22 genes that might be considered as additional therapeutic targets for this clinically relevant patient subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: We define a molecular signature which may guide therapeutic approaches for tumors with high mitotic network activity
Improving Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Care and Related Services in Eastern Rwanda
Younsook Lim and colleagues describe the Rwanda Learning Collaborative on Child Health, which aimed to improve and extend the impact of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS
The Morningside Initiative: Collaborative Development of a Knowledge Repository to Accelerate Adoption of Clinical Decision Support
The Morningside Initiative is a public-private activity that has evolved from an August, 2007, meeting at the Morningside Inn, in Frederick, MD, sponsored by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) of the US Army Medical Research Materiel Command. Participants were subject matter experts in clinical decision support (CDS) and included representatives from the Department of Defense, Veterans Health Administration, Kaiser Permanente, Partners Healthcare System, Henry Ford Health System, Arizona State University, and the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). The Morningside Initiative was convened in response to the AMIA Roadmap for National Action on Clinical Decision Support and on the basis of other considerations and experiences of the participants. Its formation was the unanimous recommendation of participants at the 2007 meeting which called for creating a shared repository of executable knowledge for diverse health care organizations and practices, as well as health care system vendors. The rationale is based on the recognition that sharing of clinical knowledge needed for CDS across organizations is currently virtually non-existent, and that, given the considerable investment needed for creating, maintaining and updating authoritative knowledge, which only larger organizations have been able to undertake, this is an impediment to widespread adoption and use of CDS. The Morningside Initiative intends to develop and refine (1) an organizational framework, (2) a technical approach, and (3) CDS content acquisition and management processes for sharing CDS knowledge content, tools, and experience that will scale with growing numbers of participants and can be expanded in scope of content and capabilities. Intermountain Healthcare joined the initial set of participants shortly after its formation. The efforts of the Morningside Initiative are intended to serve as the basis for a series of next steps in a national agenda for CDS. It is based on the belief that sharing of knowledge can be highly effective as is the case in other competitive domains such as genomics. Participants in the Morningside Initiative believe that a coordinated effort between the private and public sectors is needed to accomplish this goal and that a small number of highly visible and respected health care organizations in the public and private sector can lead by example. Ultimately, a future collaborative knowledge sharing organization must have a sustainable long-term business model for financial support
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