Retinoic acid induces the differentiation of B cell hybridomas from patients with common variable immunodeficiency.

Human-human B cell hybridomas constructed from B lymphocytes of common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) patients and the nonsecreting cell line WIL2/729 HF consistently secrete low levels of Ig and appear to retain a defect characteristic of the CVI patient's B cells. We assessed the differentiative capacity of retinoic acid (RA) on these hybridomas, as well as on hybridomas constructed from normal B cells and from patients with selective IgA deficiency. RA at concentrations varying between 10(-5) and 10(-9) M augmented IgM secretion 4-20-fold from four of four CVI hybridomas tested, but did not affect Ig secretion from normal or IgA-deficiency hybridomas. In support of this elevated Ig secretion, RA enhanced the de novo synthesis of biosynthetically labeled light (kappa) and heavy (mu) Ig (up to 4- and 15-fold, respectively) in the CVI hybridoma line JK32.1. The increase in IgM synthesis/secretion could not be accounted for by RA-induced alteration in the cell cycle. In inducing this increase in IgM production, RA was found to affect two aspects of Ig gene expression: (a) the steady-state levels of heavy and light chain mRNAs were enhanced, and (b) the processing of mu heavy chain transcripts to the secreted mRNA form became favored over the membrane mRNA form. We also show that expression of Leu-17 (CD38), a surface marker that is re-expressed in the late pre-plasma stage of B cell development, was increased by RA from less than 20% to greater than 90% of the total cell population, with a concomitant 4-10-fold augmentation in the mean fluorescence intensity. Changes in both Leu-17 expression and de novo Ig synthesis were prominent by 24 h, but could be observed as early as 8 h after induction. Taken together, our study demonstrates that RA affects a marked alteration in the differentiated state of the CVI hybridoma clones. This finding suggests that retinoids can enhance the functional capabilities of B cells with defects in maturation and support further studies to evaluate their clinical potential in CVI

Studies of Tiros and Nimbus radiometric observations Final report

Data analyses of Tiros and Nimbus radiometric observation

Teaching Content on Social Work Practice with Religious Congregations: A Curriculum Module

This pilot study represents an effort to implement and evaluate use of a curriculum module on Charitable Choice and social work practice in a faith-based organization. Using a nonequivalent control group design, repeated measures MANOVA showed significant differences between the treatment (n=54) and comparison groups (n=53) on knowledge and degree of comfort at posttest. Despite the use of a small sample (n=107) of MSW students at a public university in the Southeast, the findings provide initial support for further use and future evaluations of curriculum modules covering specific content on practice in faith-based settings

Longitudinal Evaluation of Outcomes for Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance During Two Years of Children’s Psychosocial Rehabilitation

This study assessed the course, rate, and significance of change in participants’ day-to-day functioning during two years of Children’s Psychosocial Rehabilitation (CPSR). Hierarchical linear mixed models were used to analyze Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) outcome data for 49 youth with serious emotional disturbance, aged 7 to 17 years. The authors estimated participants’ change trajectory, difference in initial versus 16-month status, and difference in rate of change between the first 12 and last 8 months of the study. Controlling for age, participants improved by 13.73 points on the CAFAS every four months, generating a statistically and clinically significant improvement from intake to 16 months. The rate of change decreased significantly to 1.37 points per wave during the last 8 months of the study. CPSR participants improve significantly during treatment, with the majority of changes occurring in the first year

Considering Family and Significant Others in the Faculty Recruitment Process: A Study of Social Work Recruiting Practices

One of the most important facets of quality social work education is the recruitment and retention of faculty. This mixed methods study uses findings from an on-line survey of 106 recent (within three years) faculty hires and their (n=24) spouse/partner/significant others (S/P/SO) to determine the degree to which family- integrative recruitment strategies were being used in recruiting social work faculty and the impact with which the presence or absence of these strategies have on retention. A majority of respondents reported that S/P/SO were excluded from the recruitment process.Though the few respondents who felt included were pleased with their current position and planned to pursue tenure to stay with the school, a significant number of faculty whose S/P/SO were not involved were already contemplating their next position.The authors suggest family integrative strategies that help S/P/SO connect with the community may give social work programs the competitive edge they need to attract and retain the best and brightest social work faculty

Veteran Participation in Operation Song: Exploring Resiliency in a Songwriting Experience

This study takes a phenomenological approach to explore the experience of Operation Song, a United States nonprofit organization’s songwriting program for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Six participants completed semi-structured interviews to identify the structural, textural, and composite descriptions of the Operation Song experience. Findings were analyzed through an interpretive phenomenological analysis, which led to themes describing the essence as a “catalyst to invoke personal change.” When restructured for this article, original key themes describing the overall experience were reestablished as a setting that promoted authenticity, trusted social support, uniquely skilled songwriters, songwriting, and listening to the songs. Through a review of the biopsychosocial impacts of trauma and resiliency factors, this study offers a unique outlook supporting social and creative experiences as complementary mechanisms to enhance treatment outcomes for military veterans with PTSD

Investigation of mesoscale cloud features viewed by LANDSAT

The author has identified the following significant results. Some 50 LANDSAT images displaying mesoscale cloud features were analyzed. This analysis was based on the Rayleigh-Kuettner model describing the formation of that type of mesoscale cloud feature. This model lends itself to computation of the average wind speed in northerly flow from the dimensions of the cloud band configurations measured from a LANDSAT image. In nearly every case, necessary conditions of a curved wind profile and orientation of the cloud streets within 20 degrees of the direction of the mean wind in the convective layer were met. Verification of the results by direct observation was hampered, however, by the incompatibility of the resolution of conventional rawinsonde observations with the scale of the banded cloud patterns measured from LANDSAT data. Comparison seems to be somewhat better in northerly flows than in southerly flows, with the largest discrepancies in wind speed being within 8m/sec, or a factor of two