The family may be the rescue when your heart starts to sink

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Regulation of junction dynamics in the testis--transcriptional and post-translational regulations of cell junction proteins

Cell junctions are the sites at which cells attach to the neighboring cells. They do not only maintain tissue integrity, their turnover also plays a crucial role in cell development and morphogenesis. In the testis, tight junctions and adherens junctions are dynamically remodeled to allow the movement of post-meiotic germ cells across the seminiferous epithelium and the timely release of spermatids into the tubular lumen. There is growing evidence that this dynamic remodeling of cell junctions is mediated by several mechanisms at the transcriptional and post-translational levels. This review summarizes what is known about the transcriptional regulation, ubiquitination and endocytosis that are involved in modulating junction dynamics in epithelial cells. It also highlights the recent findings on the regulation of junction dynamics in the testis and the specific areas that require further research for a thorough understanding of the role of junction remodeling in spermatogenesis. Understanding the junction dynamics in the seminiferous epithelium may unfold new targets for non-hormonal male contraceptive development.postprin

On the Migration of the Galilean Satellites

Topic 67: Solar System: GeneralPoster PresentationThe migration of the Galilean satellites during formation due to interactions with the circumjovian disk is studied. In the gas-starved disk model proposed by Canup & Ward (2002, 2006), the Galilean satellites are the last generation of satellites formed in the circumjovian disk, and their migration and accretion depend on disk viscosity, opacity and material inflow rate. Relaxing the migration to non-isothermal type I regime (e.g. Paardekooper et al. 2010) allows the satellites to migrate outwards in optically-thick disk regions, and there is a position where the disk torque is zero. This contrasts with 278the results in the isothermal type I regime in which the satellites always migrate inwards. Including the effect of temperature dependence of disk opacity can produce multiple zero-torque positions in the circumjovian disk. As the disk depletes, these zero-torque positions shift towards Jupiter. Under this setting, a satellite at a range of initial locations will eventually converge to near one of these zero-torque positions, but stays at a fixed distance away (with the distance depending on satellite mass), so that it is moving inwards with the zero-torque position. However, if the satellite starts at a large-enough distance from Jupiter, it may move in a trajectory that does not converge to any of these zero-torque positions and survives to the end. The effect of satellite growth and variation of disk parameters on satellite migration will be discussed. The migration in multiple satellite system, and how these settings can possibly result in the Laplace resonance among the Galilean satellites, will be also investigated. This work is supported in part by Hong Kong RGC grant HKU 7030/11Ppublished_or_final_versio

Far-lateral transcondylar approach: surgical technique and its application in neurenteric cysts of the cervicomedullary junction

Journal ArticleNeurenteric cysts are rare benign lesions of the central nervous system that are lined by endodermal cell-derived epithelium. Although they occur mostly in the spine, they can occur intracranially, most often in the posterior fossa. Neurenteric cysts that are located in the anterior cervicomedullary junction are even rarer and often require a skull base approach for adequate resection. The authors describe two cases of neurenteric cysts arising from the cervicomedullary junction that were resected via a far-lateral transcondylar approach. They discuss the surgical approach and operative nuances involved in removing these lesions, and review the clinical presentation of neurenteric cysts in this region as well as the neuroimaging characteristics, histopathological findings, and surgical management. Intraoperative videos are presented

Urine 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), a specific marker of oxidative stress, using direct, isocratic LC–MS/MS : method evaluation and application in study of biological variation in healthy adults

2009-2010 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalAccepted ManuscriptPublishe

Policy Regimes, Policy Shifts, and U.S. Business Cycles

Session - Monetary EconomicsUsing an estimated DSGE model that features monetary and fiscal policy interactions and allows for equilibrium indeterminacy, we find that a passive monetary and passive fiscal policy regime prevailed in the pre-Volcker period while an active monetary and passive fiscal policy regime prevailed post-Volcker. Since both monetary and fiscal policies were passive pre-Volcker, there was equilibrium indeterminacy that gave rise to self-fulfilling beliefs and resulted in substantially different transmission mechanisms of policy as compared to conventional models: unanticipated increases in interest rates increased inflation and output while unanticipated increases in lump-sum taxes decreased inflation and output. Unanticipated shifts in monetary and fiscal policies however, played no substantial role in explaining the variation of inflation and output at any horizon in either of the time periods. Pre-Volcker, in sharp contrast to post-Volcker, we find that a time-varying inflation target does not explain low-frequency movements in inflation. A combination of shocks account for the dynamics of output, inflation, and government debt, with the relative importance of a particular shock quite different in the two time-periods due to changes in the systematic responses of policy. Finally, in a counterfactual exercise, we show that had the monetary policy regime of the post-Volcker era been in place pre-Volcker, inflation volatility would have been lower by 34% and the rise of inflation in the 1970s would not have occurred.postprin

Inflation dynamics: the role of public debt and policy regimes

Session III-7: Macroeconomics IV - Policy Regimes and DSGE ModelsWe investigate the impact of a time-varying inflation target and changing monetary and fiscal policy stances on the dynamics of inflation in a DSGE model. Under an active monetary and passive fiscal policy regime, inflation closely follows the path of the inflation target and a stronger reaction of monetary policy to inflation decreases the equilibrium response of inflation to non-policy shocks. In sharp contrast, under an active fiscal and passive monetary policy regime, inflation moves in an opposite direction from the inflation target and a stronger reaction of monetary policy to inflation increases the equilibrium response of inflation to non-policy shocks. Moreover, a weaker response of fiscal policy to debt decreases the response of inflation to non-policy shocks. These results are due to variation in the value of public debt that lead to wealth effects on households. Finally, under a passive monetary and passive fiscal policy regime, because of equilibrium indeterminacy, theory provides no clear answer on the behavior of inflation. We characterize these results analytically in a simple model and numerically in a richer quantitative model.postprin

The dynamics of inter-Sertoli (SC) tight junctions (TJ) are regulated by transforming growth factor-beta 3 (TGF-beta 3) via the p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling pathway

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Optimal Monetary Policy in a Currency Union with Interest Rate Spreads

The Conference papers' website is located at http://dev3.cepr.org/meets/wkcn/1/1806/papers/default.htmPoster Session 1A Euro Area Business Cycle Network (EABCN) ConferenceWe study optimal monetary policy in a two-country currency union model with nominal and financial frictions. In addition to, and independent from, the standard transmission mechanism associated with sticky prices, financial frictions combined with asymmetric asset positions introduce a wealth redistribution role for monetary policy in our model. Financial frictions also lead to a spread between the deposit and borrowing interest rate and variation in the spread affects both aggregate variables, by affecting total spending, and relative (cross-country) variables, by redistributing wealth across countries. Moreover, the interactions between nominal and financial frictions amplify the effects of monetary policy; imply that a strict inflation targeting policy of setting union-wide inflation to zero is never optimal and that optimal policy never attains efficiency; and lead to a novel policy trade-o¤ for the central bank in stabilizing relative consumption versus the relative price gap (the deviation of relative prices from their efficient level). Finally, under optimal monetary policy, in response to an aggregate purely financial shock that causes an increase in the interest rate spread, the central bank strongly decreases the deposit rate, which reduces aggregate and distributional inefficiencies by mitigating the drop in output and inflation and the rise in relative consumption and prices. We also show that while a traditional Taylor rule approximates optimal policy imperfectly, especially in response to the financial shock, a spread-adjusted Taylor rule performs better as it helps the real interest rate track the efficient rate of interest.postprin