The intrinsic normal cone

We suggest a construction of virtual fundamental classes of certain types of moduli spaces.Comment: LaTeX, Postscript file available at http://www.math.ubc.ca/people/faculty/behrend/inc.p

Pluri-Canonical Models of Supersymmetric Curves

This paper is about pluri-canonical models of supersymmetric (susy) curves. Susy curves are generalisations of Riemann surfaces in the realm of super geometry. Their moduli space is a key object in supersymmetric string theory. We study the pluri-canonical models of a susy curve, and we make some considerations about Hilbert schemes and moduli spaces of susy curves.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the intensive period "Perspectives in Lie Algebras", held at the CRM Ennio De Giorgi, Pisa, Italy, 201

Parenting and Attachment among Low-Income African-American and Caucasian Preschoolers

Despite a plethora of research on parenting and infant attachment, much less is known about the contributions of parenting to preschool attachment, particularly within different racial groups. This study seeks to build on the extant literature by evaluating whether similar associations between parenting and attachment can be observed in African American and Caucasian families, and whether race moderates them. Seventy-four primary caregivers and their preschool children (51% African American, 49% Caucasian, 46% male) from similar urban, low income backgrounds participated in two visits four weeks apart when children were between four and five years of age. Attachment was scored from videotapes of the Strange Situation paradigm using the preschool classification system developed by Cassidy, Marvin, and the MacArthur Working Group. Parenting was assessed using a multi-method, multi-context approach: in the child’s home, in the laboratory, and via parent-report. Seventy-three percent of the children were classified as securely attached. Warm, responsive parenting behavior (but not race) predicted attachment. Although parents of African American and Caucasian children demonstrated some significant differences in parenting behaviors, race did not moderate the relationship between parenting and child attachment. These findings highlight the direct role that parenting plays over and above race in determining attachment security during the preschool period

Morphological And Functional Characterization Of A Murine Garp2-Specific Knockout

GARP2, found exclusively in retinal rod photoreceptors, has been proposed to function as a structural protein, a calcium binding protein, and a modulator of the phosphodiesterase regulating visual phototransduction cascade kinetics. GARP2 is a splice variant of the Cngb1 gene which also encodes the β-subunit of the phototransduction cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel and another glutamic acid-rich protein, GARP1. Mutations of the β-subunit and, recently discovered regions shared with the GARP en-coding regions of Cngb1cause retinitis pigmentosa (RP), while overexpression of GARP2 in the absence of the β-subunit accelerates the observed Cngb1-mediated retinal degeneration in mouse β-subunit knockout disease models. In this study, we have used a selective knockout of murine GARP2 (GARP2-KO) to assess functional and structural changes associated with its absence and to assess its role in the retina. In the GARP2-KO mice, the morphology of the photoreceptors remained intact. However, regions of longer outer segments were sporadically observed that were misaligned relative to the retinal pigment epithelium. At one month, the GARP2-KO had normal electroretinogram responses under both light- and dark-adapted conditions. However, surprisingly, the GARP2-KO photoresponse was altered by three months of age showing both scotopic a- and b- wave reductions, reduced bipolar cell sensitivity to light, faster oscillatory potentials, and reduced scotopic critical flicker fusion responses. To assess changes in gene expression triggered by the absence of GARP2, transcriptomes of GARP2-KO, Cngb1-X1, and WT mouse retinas were compared using RNAseq analysis. Ten commonly differentially expressed genes between the GARP2-KO and Cngb1-X1, both of which lack GARP2, were confirmed by RT-PCR that function in cell cycle regulation, maintenance of the connecting cilium, circadian rhythms, or retinoid signaling. This work has shown that the length of the rod outer segment and the formation and transmission of electrical signals from the rod photoreceptor to the bipolar cell is somewhat dependent on the presence of GARP2. The GARP2-KO phenotype is a subtle, yet progressive, non-degenerative, functionally atypical model of vision

The Effects of Renal Cold Storage and Transplantation on Immunoproteasome and the Complement System

Renal transplantation is the preferred method of treatment for end stage kidney disease. The majority of donor kidneys come from deceased donors and have to be stored in cold storage solution (CS) until the recipient is identified. However, prolonged CS is associated with poor long-term outcome. Unfortunately, the mechanisms of CS-related damage are largely unknown. Our laboratory recently reported that the proteasome and renal function were significantly decreased in rat kidney transplants that involved CS combined with transplantation (CS/Tx), as opposed to those that did not undergo CS (auto-transplantation/ATx). The long-term goal is to improve the transplant outcome by identifying CS-mediated renal damage and by acquiring targeted therapies during CS. This study contributes to that objective by characterizing immunoproteasome (a proteasome variant) and complement (a group of serum proteins that participates in eliminating pathogens and debris) activation within the kidneys after CS/Tx. Our hypothesis is that CS/Tx will exacerbate the function of immunoproteasome and complement systems. Lewis rat kidneys exposed to 18 hours of cold storage were used for transplantation (CS/Tx). Kidneys with no CS exposure were transplanted (ATx) and used as a transplant control. The sham (Sh) kidneys with right nephrectomy were used as a control. Using paraffin embedded kidney sections and immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence, immunoproteasome and complement levels/function were evaluated. Immunoproteasome function was significantly increased only after CS/Tx when compared to Sh and ATx. Immunohistochemistry of kidney sections revealed a modest increase of immunoproteasome catalytic subunits, LMP2 and LMP10, after ATx when compared to Sh; but a profound increase of these subunits was detected after CS/Tx. Similarly, complement proteins C3 (an upstream component) and C5b-9 (a cytolytic terminal activation product), were increased in kidneys after ATx (detected by immunofluorescence), but an excessive increase of these proteins was observed after CS/Tx. Furthermore, TUNEL assay revealed exacerbated cell death in kidney sections after CS/Tx, whereas ATx showed a slight increase of cell death. These results suggest that the prolonged CS worsens activation of the immunoproteasome and complement system leading to renal damage/dysfunction

The Effects of Renal Cold Storage and Transplantation on Immunoproteasome and the Complement System

Renal transplantation is the preferred method of treatment for end stage kidney disease. The majority of donor kidneys come from deceased donors and have to be stored in cold storage solution (CS) until the recipient is identified. However, prolonged CS is associated with poor long-term outcome. Unfortunately, the mechanisms of CS-related damage are largely unknown. Our laboratory recently reported that the proteasome and renal function were significantly decreased in rat kidney transplants that involved CS combined with transplantation (CS/Tx), as opposed to those that did not undergo CS (auto-transplantation/ATx). The long-term goal is to improve the transplant outcome by identifying CS-mediated renal damage and by acquiring targeted therapies during CS. This study contributes to that objective by characterizing immunoproteasome (a proteasome variant) and complement (a group of serum proteins that participates in eliminating pathogens and debris) activation within the kidneys after CS/Tx. Our hypothesis is that CS/Tx will exacerbate the function of immunoproteasome and complement systems. Lewis rat kidneys exposed to 18 hours of cold storage were used for transplantation (CS/Tx). Kidneys with no CS exposure were transplanted (ATx) and used as a transplant control. The sham (Sh) kidneys with right nephrectomy were used as a control. Using paraffin embedded kidney sections and immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence, immunoproteasome and complement levels/function were evaluated. Immunoproteasome function was significantly increased only after CS/Tx when compared to Sh and ATx. Immunohistochemistry of kidney sections revealed a modest increase of immunoproteasome catalytic subunits, LMP2 and LMP10, after ATx when compared to Sh; but a profound increase of these subunits was detected after CS/Tx. Similarly, complement proteins C3 (an upstream component) and C5b-9 (a cytolytic terminal activation product), were increased in kidneys after ATx (detected by immunofluorescence), but an excessive increase of these proteins was observed after CS/Tx. Furthermore, TUNEL assay revealed exacerbated cell death in kidney sections after CS/Tx, whereas ATx showed a slight increase of cell death. These results suggest that the prolonged CS worsens activation of the immunoproteasome and complement system leading to renal damage/dysfunction

Editor\u27s Note

This is the Editor’s Note to Volume 31, Issue 2 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Editor’s Note

This is the Editor’s Note to Volume 31, Issue 1 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration