Effect of estrogens on skin aging and the potential role of SERMs

In humans, structural and functional changes attributable to aging are more visibly evident in the skin than in any other organ. Estrogens have significant effects on skin physiology and modulate epidermal keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts and melanocytes, in addition to skin appendages including the hair follicle and the sebaceous gland. Importantly, skin aging can be significantly delayed by the administration of estrogen. This paper reviews the effects of estrogens on skin and the mechanisms by which estrogens can alleviate the changes due to aging that occur in human skin. The relevance of estrogen replacement therapy (HRT) in post-menopausal women and the potential value of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) as a therapy for diminishing skin aging are also highlighted

Using electrostatic potentials to predict DNA-binding sites on DNA-binding proteins

A method to detect DNA-binding sites on the surface of a protein structure is important for functional annotation. This work describes the analysis of residue patches on the surface of DNA-binding proteins and the development of a method of predicting DNA-binding sites using a single feature of these surface patches. Surface patches and the DNA-binding sites were initially analysed for accessibility, electrostatic potential, residue propensity, hydrophobicity and residue conservation. From this, it was observed that the DNA-binding sites were, in general, amongst the top 10% of patches with the largest positive electrostatic scores. This knowledge led to the development of a prediction method in which patches of surface residues were selected such that they excluded residues with negative electrostatic scores. This method was used to make predictions for a data set of 56 non-homologous DNA-binding proteins. Correct predictions made for 68% of the data set

Using structural motifs to identify proteins with DNA binding function

This work describes a method for predicting DNA binding function from structure using 3-dimensional templates. Proteins that bind DNA using small contiguous helix¿turn¿helix (HTH) motifs comprise a significant number of all DNA-binding proteins. A structural template library of seven HTH motifs has been created from non-homologous DNA-binding proteins in the Protein Data Bank. The templates were used to scan complete protein structures using an algorithm that calculated the root mean squared deviation (rmsd) for the optimal superposition of each template on each structure, based on Ca backbone coordinates. Distributions of rmsd values for known HTH-containing proteins (true hits) and non-HTH proteins (false hits) were calculated. A threshold value of 1.6 Å rmsd was selected that gave a true hit rate of 88.4% and a false positive rate of 0.7%. The false positive rate was further reduced to 0.5% by introducing an accessible surface area threshold value of 990 Å2 per HTH motif. The template library and the validated thresholds were used to make predictions for target proteins from a structural genomics project

The Impacts of Transitional Employment for Mentally Retarded Young Adults: Results of the STETS Demonstration

The Structured Training and Employment Transitional Services (STETS) demonstration was designed to provide the first rigorous test of the effectiveness of transitional-employment programs in integrating mentally retarded young adults into the economic and social mainstream. Under the demonstration, which was funded by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor and directed by MDRC, programs were operated from the fall of 1981 through December 1983 in five cities throughout the country. This demonstration has greatly expanded our knowledge about the implementation and operation of transitional-employment programs for this target population and has documented the effectiveness of such programs in enhancing the economic and social independence of mentally retarded young adults. This report on the impact evaluation and the benefit-cost analysis of the demonstration program consists of the following components: (1) a brief description of the rationale for the demonstration and overviews of the STETS demonstration and the evaluation design, (2) a discussion of the success of the program in achieving its impact goals, (3) a comparison of the benefits and costs of the program, and (4) a review of the policy implications of the demonstration findings

The Way to Barbara Armstrong, First Tenure-Track Law Professor in an Accredited US Law School

This is the third volume in a trilogy on gender issues in legal occupations. An overview of Women in the World ’ s Legal Professions (Schultz and Shaw 2003) was followed by Gender and Judging (Schultz and Shaw 2013), finally to be completed by this study on women teachers of law. All three books have been published by Hart Publishing, to whom we are grateful for their unceasing support over so many years. Our thanks also go to the International Institute for the Sociology of Law for facilitating the inclusion of all three volumes in their O ñ ati Socio-Legal Series.https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/facsch_bk_contributions/1385/thumbnail.jp

Biological Survey Report for the Calypso Natural Gas Pipeline: Shore Approach Route North of Port Everglades Entrance Channel with Landing South of Port Everglades Entrance Channel

The Calypso Natural Gas Pipeline Project (project) will include a 24-inch pipeline which will extend from the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the southeast Florida coastline to a shore approach at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This report, which was commissioned in May 2001 and completed in July, 2001, documents the results of a detailed biological survey of underwater marine habitats from 5 to 200 feet water depth for the pipeline route. The route, which was established based on the subsea survey that was completed in May 2001 by Williamson & Associates, Inc., includes a shore approach from the north of the Port Everglades entrance channel to a pipeline landing site south of the Port Everglades entrance channel. The purpose of this biological survey report was to identify benthic characteristics within the nearshore pipeline corridor and to identify and evaluate potential temporary impacts to the marine ecosystems. The pipeline corridor investigated was 300 feet wide and extended from the shoreline to the 200 foot water depth, a distance of approximately 14,000 feet. In addition, some video surveying was conducted to approximately the 250-foot depth contour (an additional distance of approximately 500 feet). Underwater survey methods included use of SCUBA diving to conduct underwater quantitative biological transects and integrated video mapping using a vessel towed system which provided a permanent record together with a DGPS location. Remote sensing information included use of aerial photographs and LIDAR bathymetry to guide habitat delineation. A total of eight (8) benthic habitats were defined within the pipeline corridor. These habitats included: 1. First Reef 2. Submerged Breakwater/Spoil 3. Second Reef 4. Second Reef-Sand Complex 5. Sand 6. Third Reef 7. Third Reef-Sand Complex, and 8. Third Reef Transitional. Density (number per m2) of hard corals, soft corals, and sponges was determined at several representative transects within certain habitats. Results of the study indicated that overall coverage by hard corals, soft corals, and sponges is very low in the proposed project area. Along the proposed pipeline route, percent hard coral coverage ranged from 0.16% in the Submerged Breakwater / Spoil Area to 1.34% in the Third Reef habitat. Soft coral density was lowest in Second Reef-Sand Complex (0.02 soft corals per m2) and highest at the Third Reef (11.85 soft corals per m2). Sponge density varied from 0.23 sponges per m2 in the Submerged Breakwater / Spoil Area to 19.48 sponges per m2in the Second Reef zone. Previous surveys in the general project vicinity indicate that no zooxanthellate reef-building hard corals occur in water depths greater than about 120 feet of seawater (FSW). Direct impacts of approximately 1.60 acres of hardbottom habitat characterized by very low coverage by hard corals, sponges and soft corals are expected. These impacts will occur at proposed horizontal directional drilling exit or entrance holes, laydown areas of pipeline, trenching, and blanketing to bury pipeline from the Port Everglades entrance channel from the shoreline to the 200-foot depth contour, as shown in Tables 5, 6, and 7. A further approximately 4.34 acres of area would be affected adversely by temporary indirect effects (i.e., sedimentation and turbidity) effects as shown in Tables 8, 9, and 10. Table 11 provides a summary total that 5.94 acres of hardbottom habitat would be directly or indirectly affected. In addition, approximately 0.008 acres of very sparse seagrass (Halophila decipiens) will be directly impacted. Finally, no threatened or endangered species (including the federally threatened seagrass Halophila johnsonii) were observed in the project area. Observations were conducted to the approximate 250-foot depth contour. Video surveys to that depth indicated benthic conditions consistent with those of the Third Reef Transitional complex and open sand. Project activities beyond 200 FSW will consist only of pipe placement directly on the sea bottom