Seasons of Grace

Seasons of Grace is a history of the Catholic Church and community in southern lower Michigan from the 1830s through the 1950s. More than a chronicle of clerical successions and institutional expansion, the book also examines those social and cultural influences that affected the development of the Catholic community. To document the course of institutional growth in the diocese, Tentler devotes a portion of the book to tracing the evolution of administrative structures at the Chancery and the founding of parishes, parochial schools, and social welfare organizations. Substantial attention is also given to the social history of the Catholic community, reflected in changes in religious practice, parish life and governance, and the role of women in church organizations and in devotional activities. Tentler also discusses the issue of Catholics in state and local politics and Catholic practice with regard to abortion, contraception, and intermarriage

Remoção de corantes sintéticos de efluentes aquosos usando adsorventes carbonados

A casca de pinhão manso é um resíduo abundante da indústria de biocombustível e foi usada em sua forma natural (PN) e tratada por plasma não térmico (PP) como biossorvente para a remoção do corante Vermelho reativo 120 (VR-120) de soluções aquosas. Os nanotubos de carbono de parede múltipla (NTCPM) e carvão ativo (CA) foram investigados como adsorventes na remoção do corante Azul direto 53 (AD-53) a partir de águas residuais. Os materiais adsorventes foram caracterizados por espectroscopia Raman, espectroscopia de infravermelho, isotermas de adsorção/dessorção de N2, microscopia eletrônica de varredura e transmissão. As melhores condições para adsorção dos corantes foram alcançadas em pH 2,0. O tempo de contato para obter o equilíbrio de isotermas, em 298-323 K, foi fixado em 10 horas para os biossorventes PN e PP. Para estes, o modelo cinético de ordem geral forneu o melhor ajuste aos dados experimentais em comparação com as cinéticas pseudo-primeira ordem e pseudo-segunda ordem. Para o corante VR-120, os dados de equilíbrio (298-323 K) foram ajustados para o modelo de isoterma de Liu. A capacidade máxima de adsorção do corante ocorreu a 323 K, atingindo valores de 40,94 e 65,63 mg g-1 para o PN e PP, respectivamente. Os resultados dos estudos de adsorção/dessorção mostraram que a maior porcentagem de remoção de PN e PP foram alcançadas quando a mistura de solventes (acetona a 50% + 50% de 0,050 mol L-1 de NaCl (v/v)) foi utilizada. Os efluentes simulados foram utilizados para verificar a aplicabilidade dos biossorventes propostos. A remoção ocorreu de 68,2 e 94,6%, para PN e PP, respectivamente, em meio com elevada concentração salina. Já para NTCPM e CA os tempos de contato foram fixados em 3 horas e 4 horas, respectivamente. O modelo da cinética de ordem geral forneceu o melhor ajuste aos dados experimentais, se comparado aos modelos de adsorção cinéticos de pseudoprimeira ordem e pseudo-segunda ordem. Para o corante AD-53, os dados no equilíbrio (298-323 K) foram ajustados pelo modelo de isoterma de Sips. A capacidade máxima de adsorção do corante ocorreu a 323 K, com os valores de 409,4 e 135,2 mg g-1 para NTCPM e CA, respectivamente. Os resultados dos estudos de adsorção/dessorção mostraram que os NTCPM carregados com AD-53 podem ser regenerados (97,85%) utilizando uma solução de acetona aquosa (50% de acetona + 50% NaOH 3 mol L-1 (v/v)). Em experimentos de simulação de efluentes têxteis para aplicação dos adsorventes no tratamento de efluentes industriais, foram obtidas as remoções de 99,87% e 97,00% para NTCPM e CA, respectivamente, num meio com alta salinidade e diversos corantes.Jatropha curcas shell an abundant residue of the biocombustible industry, was used in its natural form (JN) and treated by non-thermal plasma (JP) as biosorbents for the removal of Reactive Red 120 (RR-120) dye from aqueous solutions. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and powder activated carbon (PAC) were used as adsorbents for adsorption of Direct Blue 53 dye (DB-53) from aqueous solutions. The adsorbents were characterised using Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The best conditions to adsorption of the dye by adsorbent were achieved at pH 2.0. The contact time to obtain equilibrium isotherms at 298–323 K was fixed at 10 h for both biosorbents. The general order kinetic model provided the best fit to the experimental data compared with pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order kinetic adsorption models. For RR-120 dye, the equilibrium data (298–323 K) were best fitted to the Liu isotherm model. The maximum sorption capacity for adsorption of the dye occurred at 323 K, attaining values of 40.94 and 65.63 mg g−1 for JN and JP, respectively. The results of adsorption/desorption studies showed that the highest percentage of removal of JN and JP were obtained when the mixture of solvents (acetone 50% + 50% 0.050 mol L-1 NaCl (v/v)) was used. Simulated dyehouse effluents were used to check the applicability of the proposed biosorbents for effluent treatment. The removal was 68.2 and 94.6% for JP and JN, respectively, in media with high salinity. As for NTCPM and CA the contact times were set at 3 h and 4 h, respectively. The general order kinetic model provided the best fit of the experimental data compared to pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order kinetic adsorption models. For DB- 53 dye, the equilibrium data (298 to 323 K) were best fitted to the Sips isotherm model. The maximum sorption capacity for adsorption of the dye occurred at 323 K, with the values of 409.4 and 135.2 mg g-1 for MWCNT and PAC, respectively. The results of adsorption/desorption studies showed that MWCNT loaded DB-53 could be regenerated (97.85%) using mixture 50% acetone + 50% of 3 mol L-1 NaOH (v/v). Simulated dye house effluents were used to evaluate the application of the adsorbents for effluent treatment, with removal of 99.87% and 97.00% for MWCNT and PAC, respectively

Mapping of ESE-1 subdomains required to initiate mammary epithelial cell transformation via a cytoplasmic mechanism

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The ETS family transcription factor ESE-1 is often overexpressed in human breast cancer. ESE-1 initiates transformation of MCF-12A cells via a non-transcriptional, cytoplasmic process that is mediated by a unique 40-amino acid serine and aspartic acid rich (SAR) subdomain, whereas, ESE-1's nuclear transcriptional property is required to maintain the transformed phenotype of MCF7, ZR-75-1 and T47D breast cancer cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To map the minimal functional nuclear localization (NLS) and nuclear export (NES) signals, we fused in-frame putative NLS and NES motifs between GFP and the SAR domain. Using these GFP constructs as reporters of subcellular localization, we mapped a single NLS to six basic amino acids (²⁴²HGKRRR²⁴⁷) in the AT-hook and two CRM1-dependent NES motifs, one to the pointed domain (NES1: ¹⁰²LCNCALEELRL¹¹²) and another to the DNA binding domain (DBD), (NES2: ²⁷⁵LWEFIRDILI²⁸⁴). Moreover, analysis of a putative NLS located in the DBD (³¹⁶GQKKKNSN³²³) by a similar GFP-SAR reporter or by internal deletion of the DBD, revealed this sequence to lack NLS activity. To assess the role of NES2 in regulating ESE-1 subcellular localization and subsequent transformation potency, we site-specifically mutagenized NES2, within full-length GFP-ESE-1 and GFP-NES2-SAR reporter constructs. These studies show that site-specific mutation of NES2 completely abrogates ESE-1 transforming activity. Furthermore, we show that exclusive cytoplasmic targeting of the SAR domain is sufficient to initiate transformation, and we report that an intact SAR domain is required, since block mutagenesis reveals that an intact SAR domain is necessary to maintain its full transforming potency. Finally, using a monoclonal antibody targeting the SAR domain, we demonstrate that the SAR domain contains a region accessible for protein - protein interactions.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These data highlight that ESE-1 contains NLS and NES signals that play a critical role in regulating its subcellular localization and function, and that an intact SAR domain mediates MEC transformation exclusively in the cytoplasm, via a novel nontranscriptional mechanism, whereby the SAR motif is accessible for ligand and/or protein interactions. These findings are significant, since they provide novel molecular insights into the functions of ETS transcription factors in mammary cell transformation.</p

Cover Story: A Modus Vivendi? Sex, Marriage and the Church

The article presents divergent views on an analysis by historian Eamon Duffy of the Catholic Church\u27s response to shifting attitude towards sex and marriage in the West. Duffy noted that the church is increasingly confronted with the need to evolve a modus vivendi with social trends. Many Catholics are said to have disregarded the church\u27s teachings on sex and marriage. Other topics tackled include the increasing rate of divorce, premarital sex, same-sex unions and sexual education

A Modus Vivendi? Sex, Marriage & the Church

During the 1960s, nearly 80 percent of adult Americans were married. A recent analysis of U.S. census data reported that only 52 percent of adult Americans were married in 2009. That is the lowest percentage reported in the 100 years the Census Bureau has collected such information. The reasons for this dramatic cultural shift are well known: high rates of divorce; changing attitudes toward premarital sex; social acceptability of cohabitation; the weakening of the stigma surrounding out-of-wedlock births and single parenting; the postponement of marriage and children for academic or professional reasons. Among those with only a high-school education or less, the data suggest that the decision to marry has been made more difficult by deteriorating economic conditions

How is Democracy Applied within the EU: Combining Elements of Traditional and Innovative Democratic Practice

The EU represents a new and complex political system which, according to numerous social scholars, suffers from the so-called democratic deficit. The basic argument behind this claim is that citizens lack control of the EU because, within its political system, national parliaments of member states possess only limited powers which have not been adequately compensated through steady empowerment of the European parliament (EP). Starting from this notion, the paper will explore the application of various concepts of democracy within the political system of the EU. First and foremost, it will analyse representative democracy in the EU, which stands as a foundation of all contemporary democratic systems. However, the paper will not stop at representative democracy, but it will also look at participatory, direct and deliberative democracy as applied within the political system of the EU. These concepts of democracy can only be viewed in relation and as an addition to representative democracy, but their application is very important for the EU due to limited possibilities for developing representative democracy at the supranational level. The paper will argue that, with regard to participatory and deliberative democracy, the EU can be viewed in many respects as a showcase for the national level, because it successfully developed various mechanisms related to implementation of these concepts. Particular attention will be paid to the Lisbon Treaty, which clarified many uncertainties that previously burdened the application of democracy within the EU. It will be argued that with the Lisbon Treaty the classic argument about the EU’s democratic deficit lost some of its appeal, because this treaty transformed the EP from secondary to equal participant in the EU’s legislative process

Anti-GPC3-CAR T cells suppress the growth of tumor cells in patient-derived xenografts of hepatocellular carcinoma

© 2017 Jiang, Jiang, Chen, Lai, Wei, Li, Lin, Wang, Wu, Liang, Liu, Peng, Yu, Weng, Du, Pei, Liu, Yao, Xue and Li. Background: The lack of a general clinic-relevant model for human cancer is a major impediment to the acceleration of novel therapeutic approaches for clinical use. We propose to establish and characterize primary human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) xenografts that can be used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of adoptive chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and accelerate the clinical translation of CAR T cells used in HCC. Methods: Primary HCCs were used to establish the xenografts. The morphology, immunological markers, and gene expression characteristics of xenografts were detected and compared to those of the corresponding primary tumors. CAR T cells were adoptively transplanted into patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of HCC. The cytotoxicity of CAR T cells in vivo was evaluated. Results: PDX1, PDX2, and PDX3 were established using primary tumors from three individual HCC patients. All three PDXs maintained original tumor characteristics in their morphology, immunological markers, and gene expression. Tumors in PDX1 grew relatively slower than that in PDX2 and PDX3. Glypican 3 (GPC3)-CAR T cells efficiently suppressed tumor growth in PDX3 and impressively eradicated tumor cells from PDX1 and PDX2, in which GPC3 proteins were highly expressed. Conclusion: GPC3-CAR T cells were capable of effectively eliminating tumors in PDX model of HCC. Therefore, GPC3-CAR T cell therapy is a promising candidate for HCC treatment.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex