The Heavy Burden of the State: Revisiting the History of Labor Law in the Interwar Period

This Article reflects on possible conclusions to be drawn from this symposium. The article concludes that individually, these authors have demonstrated the returns to be gained by pushing labor law history into new empirical and conceptual areas. Collectively, however, their achievement is somewhat different, for collectively they recommend that we revisit what is ostensibly familiar to us

The Heavy Burden of the State: Revisiting the History of Labor Law in the Interwar Period

This Article reflects on possible conclusions to be drawn from this symposium. The article concludes that individually, these authors have demonstrated the returns to be gained by pushing labor law history into new empirical and conceptual areas. Collectively, however, their achievement is somewhat different, for collectively they recommend that we revisit what is ostensibly familiar to us

Bio-preservative activities of Lactobacillus plantarum strains in fermenting Casssava ‘fufu’

The growth of three pathogens, namely Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhii were investigated in fermenting and non-fermenting cassava. The pH of the steeped cassava was also examined during fermentation. Antimicrobial effects of the Lactobacillus plantarum on the pathogens were also determined by agar diffusion method. All the pathogens were inhibited by L. plantarum strains with Staph. aureus having the highest inhibitory zone followed by E. coli and S. thyphii. However, in the fermenting cassava, the pathogens increased in population within the first 36 h of the process and decreased to complete extinction after the 96 h of fermentation. The L. plantarum exhibited high but varying degree of inhibition on the pathogens. The findings justify the bio-preservative roles of lactic acid bacteria in traditional cassava products.Key words: Bio-preservation, Lactobacillus plantarum, fermentation, cassava and pathogens

The Plasmodium falciparum, Nima-related kinase Pfnek-4: a marker for asexual parasites committed to sexual differentiation

<b>Background</b> Malaria parasites undergo, in the vertebrate host, a developmental switch from asexual replication to sexual differentiation leading to the formation of gametocytes, the only form able to survive in the mosquito vector. Regulation of the onset of the sexual phase remains largely unknown and represents an important gap in the understanding of the parasite's complex biology. <b>Methods:</b> The expression and function of the Nima-related kinase Pfnek-4 during the early sexual development of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum were investigated, using three types of transgenic Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 lines: (i) episomally expressing a Pfnek-4-GFP fusion protein under the control of its cognate pfnek-4 promoter; (ii) episomally expressing negative or positive selectable markers, yeast cytosine deaminase-uridyl phosphoribosyl transferase, or human dihydrofolate reductase, under the control of the pfnek-4 promoter; and (iii) lacking a functional pfnek-4 gene. Parasite transfectants were analysed by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. In vitro growth rate and gametocyte formation were determined by Giemsa-stained blood smears. <b>Results:</b> The Pfnek-4-GFP protein was found to be expressed in stage II to V gametocytes and, unexpectedly, in a subset of asexual-stage parasites undergoing schizogony. Culture conditions stimulating gametocyte formation resulted in significant increase of this schizont subpopulation. Moreover, sorted asexual parasites expressing the Pfnek-4-GFP protein displayed elevated gametocyte formation when returned to in vitro culture in presence of fresh red blood cells, when compared to GFP- parasites from the same initial population. Negative selection of asexual parasites expressing pfnek-4 showed a marginal reduction in growth rate, whereas positive selection caused a marked reduction in parasitaemia, but was not sufficient to completely abolish proliferation. Pfnek-4- clones are not affected in their asexual growth and produced normal numbers of stage V gametocytes. <b>Conclusions:</b> The results indicate that Pfnek-4 is not strictly gametocyte-specific, and is expressed in a small subset of asexual parasites displaying high rate conversion to sexual development. Pfnek-4 is not required for erythrocytic schizogony and gametocytogenesis. This is the first study to report the use of a molecular marker for the sorting of sexually-committed schizont stage P. falciparum parasites, which opens the way to molecular characterization of this pre-differentiated subpopulation

Histotripsy of the Prostate in a Canine Model: Characterization of Post-Therapy Inflammation and Fibrosis

Introduction: Histotripsy is a nonthermal, noninvasive, pulsed ultrasound technology that homogenizes tissue within the targeted volume. From previous experiments, it appeared that the resultant fibrotic response from histotripsy was limited compared with the typical tissue response seen after thermoablation. The objective of this study was to characterize the inflammatory response and quantify patterns of collagen deposition 6 weeks after in vivo canine prostate histotripsy. Methods: Histotripsy was applied to the left half of eight canine prostates to produce an intraparenchymal zone of tissue homogenization. Six weeks after treatment, prostates were harvested, sectioned, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histologic evaluation, CD3, CD20, and Mac387 immunohistochemistry to characterize the inflammatory components, and picrosirius red staining to identify collagen. Results: Seven of eight treated prostates exhibited only minimal residual inflammation. Visual microscopic analysis of picrosirius red slides revealed a band of dense collagen (0.5?mm wide) immediately adjacent to the cavity produced by histotripsy. This was surrounded by a second band (1?mm wide) of less dense collagen interspersed among glandular architecture. A lobar distribution of epithelial atrophy and basal cell hyperplasia reminiscent of periurethral glands and ducts was apparent surrounding the margin of the treatment cavities. Tissue loss (-31%) was apparent on the treated side of all prostates while four demonstrated a net decrease in collagen content. Conclusions: In vivo histotripsy of canine prostate produced a decrease in prostate volume coupled with a limited inflammatory and fibrotic response. A narrow (1.5?mm) band of fibrosis around the empty, reepithelialized treatment cavity was observed 6 weeks after treatment. In four cases, an overall reduction in collagen content was measured. Further studies are planned to correlate these histologic findings with alteration in mechanical tissue properties and to explore histotripsy strategies for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia that optimize tissue volume removal with minimization of fibrosis.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140079/1/end.2014.0585.pd

At the intersection of primary pulmonary myxoid sarcoma and pulmonary angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma: observations from three new cases

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/107555/1/his12354.pd

Effect of frying treatments on texture and colour parameters of deep fat fried yellow fleshed cassava chips

Effects of frying treatments on texture (hardness) and colour parameters (L, a, b, Delta) during deep fat frying of yellowfleshed cassava root slices (TMS 01/1371) were investigated. Slices (dimension of 40mm × 25mm × 3 mm) were divided into three portions and subjected to vacuum frying (fresh slices) and atmospheric frying (fresh and predried slices) and equivalent thermal driving forces (ETDF) of 60∘C, 70∘C, and 80∘C were maintained during frying. The quality attributes investigated were best preserved in vacuum fried chips. The overall colour change in chips fried under vacuum conditions at 118∘C and 8 min was the least (21.20) compared to fresh and atmospherically predried ones (16.69 and 14.81, resp.). A sharp reduction in the breaking force was obtained for all frying treatments after 8 min and this effect was the least in vacuum fried chips. First-order kinetics modeled the changes in quality attributes for all the temperatures investigated. Rate constants k (min−1) obtained for vacuum frying were almost equal to that of atmospheric frying while activation energies for hardness and colour change were 53.30 and 467.11 KJ/mol, respectively. Quality attributes studied were best preserved during vacuum frying

Adsorption isotherms and thermodynamics properties of water yam flour

Adsorption isotherms of water yam flour were determined by static gravimetric method of saturated salt solutions in the range of water activities between 0.11 and 0.96 and at temperatures of 25, 35 and 45 °C. The experimental sorption data was fitted to five models: Guggenheim-Anderson-De Boer (GAB), Peleg, Iglesias-Chirife, Exponential and Oswin and the differential enthalpy and entropies were determined. Equilibrium moisture contents decreased with increase in temperature at all the water activities studied. Peleg model gave the best fit for the sorption isotherm of water yam flour. Monolayer moisture content values estimated from the GAB-model were found to decrease with increases in temperature. The differential enthalpy and entropy decreased with increases in moisture content. The isokinetic temperature was 371.32 K and the compensation theory was satisfied