Reverse Discrimination: Availability of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 to White Plaintiffs

Hollander v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 392 F. Supp. 90 (D. Conn. 1975). As the federal judiciary continues to play a major role in the development of race relations in the United States, an intriguing question that has emerged in recent decisions has been that of reverse discrimination and the application of 42 U.S.C. § 1981 to white plaintiffs. The concept of reverse discrimination may be defined as a preference for minorities over qualified whites in order to achieve racial balance and equal opportunities in employment\u27 and education.\u27 The validity of preferential policies has been called into question in instances where federal district courts have issued orders4 designed to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.1 One of the latest concerns has become whether § 1981 affords whites a cause of action for racial discrimination in employment

The Platinum Platter Doctrine in Ohio: Are Private Police Really Private?

Perhaps one of the greatest aids to beleaguered municipal and county police forces in the fight against crime is the use of special policemen by department stores and factories. As is often the case with any good preventative, however, there is great potential for abuse. While special police beneficially free more regularly employed municipal and county police officers for other duties, their increasing use is beginning to raise a number of legal issues which are not easily resolved. Many of the issues involve constitutional questions of great importance, particularly in the areas of the fourth and fifth amendments, and rights secured by Miranda v. Arizona. Questions also exist concerning the powers and jurisdiction exercisable by the special police, as well as with the numerous statutory grants which authorize the creation of special police forces

Partial Termination of Single-Employer Tax Qualified Plans: Clarity or Misappropriated Judicial Decision-Making?

For over three decades, the Internal Revenue Code [hereinafter I.R.C. or Code 1 has contained provisions that require that all benefits in a single-employer tax qualified plan become fully vested when the plan is partially terminated. However, the Internal Revenue Service [hereinafter IRS or Service] has failed to articulate a standard for determining when a partial termination has occurred. Instead, the courts and the Service have utilized a “facts and circumstances” test which does not set clear guidelines. In light of the application of inconsistent approaches by the courts, recent decisions answering partial plan termination questions have served only to further complicate the issues. The result of this evolution is a body of law that contains relatively few “bright line rules” on which employee benefits practitioners can rely. This article examines the statutory, legislative and case history of partial terminations of single-employer tax qualified plans. It discusses an employer\u27s ability to terminate single-employer plans prior to the enactment of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (hereinafter ERISA) as well as post-ERISA and thoroughly analyzes the legislative history of I.R.C. § 411, 2 the provision governing partial terminations. Case law, Treasury Regulations, and revenue rulings all provide examples of situations in which the courts and the Service have *266 made determinations concerning whether a partial termination has occurred. Accordingly, these relevant materials are also analyzed. The governing provisions of the Code and Treasury Regulations provide for a “facts and circumstances” test; however, no clear authoritative guidance for making such a determination has been issued. Therefore, this article provides a comprehensive analysis of the manner in which the courts and the Service have handled the issue. While this article does not recommend a bright line test, its purpose is to pinpoint the issues and to provide insight for practitioners who need to predict whether the courts and the Service will find that a partial termination has, in fact, occurred

KIAA0101 (OEACT-1), an expressionally down-regulated and growth-inhibitory gene in human hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Our previous cDNA array results indicated KIAA0101 as one of the differentially expressed genes in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as compared with non-cancerous liver. However, it is necessary to study its expression at protein level in HCC and its biological function for HCC cell growth. METHOD: Western blot and tissue array were performed to compare KIAA0101 protein expression level in paired human HCC and non-cancerous liver tissues from the same patients. Investigation of its subcellular localization was done by using dual fluorescence image examination and enriched mitochondrial protein Western blot analysis. The in vitro cell growth curve was used for examing the effect of over-expression of KIAA0101 in HCC cells. FACS was used to analyze the cell cycle pattern in KIAA0101 expression positive (+) and negative (-) cell populations isolated by the pMACSKK(II )system after KIAA0101 cDNA transfection. RESULTS: Western blot showed KIAA0101 protein expression was down-regulated in HCC tissues as compared with their counterpart non-cancerous liver tissues in 25 out of 30 cases. Tissue array also demonstrated the same pattern in 161 paired samples. KIAA0101 was predominantly localized in mitochondria and partially in nuclei. KIAA0101 cDNA transfection could inhibit the HCC cell growth in vitro. In cell cycle analysis, it could arrest cells at the G(1 )to S phase transition. CONCLUSION: KIAA0101 protein expression was down-regulated in HCC. This gene could inhibit the HCC cell growth in vitro and presumably by its blocking effect on cell cycle

The Paf oncogene is essential for hematopoietic stem cell function and development

The Paf oncogene is highly expressed in cycling hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and is required for the development of long-term HSCs

Gene Expression Profiling in Cells with Enhanced γ-Secretase Activity

BACKGROUND: Processing by gamma-secretase of many type-I membrane protein substrates triggers signaling cascades by releasing intracellular domains (ICDs) that, following nuclear translocation, modulate the transcription of different genes regulating a diverse array of cellular and biological processes. Because the list of gamma-secretase substrates is growing quickly and this enzyme is a cancer and Alzheimer's disease therapeutic target, the mapping of gamma-secretase activity susceptible gene transcription is important for sharpening our view of specific affected genes, molecular functions and biological pathways. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To identify genes and molecular functions transcriptionally affected by gamma-secretase activity, the cellular transcriptomes of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells with enhanced and inhibited gamma-secretase activity were analyzed and compared by cDNA microarray. The functional clustering by FatiGO of the 1,981 identified genes revealed over- and under-represented groups with multiple activities and functions. Single genes with the most pronounced transcriptional susceptibility to gamma-secretase activity were evaluated by real-time PCR. Among the 21 validated genes, the strikingly decreased transcription of PTPRG and AMN1 and increased transcription of UPP1 potentially support data on cell cycle disturbances relevant to cancer, stem cell and neurodegenerative diseases' research. The mapping of interactions of proteins encoded by the validated genes exclusively relied on evidence-based data and revealed broad effects on Wnt pathway members, including WNT3A and DVL3. Intriguingly, the transcription of TERA, a gene of unknown function, is affected by gamma-secretase activity and was significantly altered in the analyzed human Alzheimer's disease brain cortices. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Investigating the effects of gamma-secretase activity on gene transcription has revealed several affected clusters of molecular functions and, more specifically, 21 genes that hold significant potential for a better understanding of the biology of gamma-secretase and its roles in cancer and Alzheimer's disease pathology

Whole-genome sequencing of multiple myeloma reveals oncogenic pathways are targeted somatically through multiple mechanisms.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a biologically heterogeneous malignancy, however, the mechanisms underlying this complexity are incompletely understood. We report an analysis of the whole-genome sequencing of 765 MM patients from CoMMpass. By employing promoter capture Hi-C in naïve B-cells, we identify cis-regulatory elements (CREs) that represent a highly enriched subset of the non-coding genome in which to search for driver mutations. We identify regulatory regions whose mutation significantly alters the expression of genes as candidate non-coding drivers, including copy number variation (CNV) at CREs of MYC and single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in a PAX5 enhancer. To better inform the interplay between non-coding driver mutations with other driver mechanisms, and their respective roles in oncogenic pathways, we extended our analysis identifying coding drivers in 40 genes, including 11 novel candidates. We demonstrate the same pathways can be targeted by coding and non-coding mutations; exemplified by IRF4 and PRDM1, along with BCL6 and PAX5, genes that are central to plasma cell differentiation. This study reveals new insights into the complex genetic alterations driving MM development and an enhanced understanding of oncogenic pathways

Emerging cities and urbanization in Southeast Asia : challenges and opportunities, what are the means for action ? : report

International audienc

Determination of SO2 concentration in red and white wine samples by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Sulfur-containing compounds are widely used as preservatives and antioxidants in winemaking processes. However, their content in wine is limited by specific laws in force in every country due to their potential allergenicity. Consequently, analytic controls across the entire winemaking process are imposed. Total SO2 is defined as the sum of all its forms, either in the free state or combined with other molecules in wine. The official method by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, OIV-MA-AS323-04A, for SO2 is time-consuming and subject to possible sources of error. For these reasons, it is important to have alternative fast and reliable methods for the quantification of SO2. In recent years, Raman spectroscopy was attested as a rapid and non-destructive technique for food and wine analysis [1]. The sensitivity of this technique can be highly increased exploiting the Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) effect obtained when target molecules are absorbed onto, or microscopically close to, a plasmonically active surface, such as roughened nanostructured metal surface, or metal colloids, such as silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) [2]. In this study, an innovative and rapid method based on SERS for the quantification of sulfites in wine is presented. Suspensions of AgNPs with different sizes were compared to investigate those that produce the highest signal enhancement, and AgNPs of 4 nm diameter were selected. Moreover, the chemical affinity between S and AgNPs was investigated and the SERS signal intensities of S=O stretching and bending modes were correlated to the amount of SO2 in the samples in the concentration range 0 - 100 mg/L. The samples were pretreated in solid-phase extraction cartridges, mixed with liquid suspensions of AgNPs and directly analyzed by SERS. The standard addition method was used to quantitatively determine the concentration of SO2 in wines, thus overcoming the matrix effect. The reliability of the results of red and white wine samples obtained by SERS method was confirmed by a comparison carried out with the results obtained by the official method