Responsible Development? The Need for Revision to Seattle\u27s Inclusionary Housing Plan

This Comment explores how Seattle\u27s enactment of a limited inclusionary housing plan can effectively meet the challenges of responsible development, both satisfying the city\u27s need for density and affordability and maintaining an economic environment conducive to developer profitability. Although Seattle\u27s current inclusionary housing plan may give adequate incentives to developers, the city needs to move away from its current voluntary plan and toward a mandatory plan that balances increasing developer incentives with a demand for affordable onsite development to serve a broader spectrum of income levels. Part II of this Comment lays out the background of exclusionary and inclusionary zoning laws, which form the foundation of every modern inclusionary housing plan. Part III examines the different approaches taken by the cities of Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver within the inclusionary housing framework. Finally, Part IV proposes several recommendations that will enhance the effectiveness of Seattle\u27s inclusionary housing plan

Responsible Development? The Need for Revision to Seattle\u27s Inclusionary Housing Plan

This Comment explores how Seattle\u27s enactment of a limited inclusionary housing plan can effectively meet the challenges of responsible development, both satisfying the city\u27s need for density and affordability and maintaining an economic environment conducive to developer profitability. Although Seattle\u27s current inclusionary housing plan may give adequate incentives to developers, the city needs to move away from its current voluntary plan and toward a mandatory plan that balances increasing developer incentives with a demand for affordable onsite development to serve a broader spectrum of income levels. Part II of this Comment lays out the background of exclusionary and inclusionary zoning laws, which form the foundation of every modern inclusionary housing plan. Part III examines the different approaches taken by the cities of Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver within the inclusionary housing framework. Finally, Part IV proposes several recommendations that will enhance the effectiveness of Seattle\u27s inclusionary housing plan

The regulation of starch biosynthesis in developing wheat endosperms

The purpose of this work is to identify some of the mechanisms regulating the conversion of assimilates to starch during endosperm development in wheat.Since environmental conditions affect the rate of grain development, a standard system for ageing developing caryopses was devised. The system was based on the morphological changes accompanying caryopsis development, under field conditions, from anthesis to harvest-ripeness. Accordingly, because the wheat caryopsis passes through similar developmental changes which occur at approximately the same relative time regardless of the time scale, the tissues of the caryopsis, e.g. the endosperm, could be standardised according to this system. This ensured that tissues at the same stage of development could be compared, even when grown under different environmental conditions, e.g. under glass.Sucrose is the principal transported sugar in wheat and was found to be the most abundant sugar in developing wheat endosperms. Glucose and fructose were present in lower amounts and in different relative quantities, with glucose declining throughout endosperm development. The higher quantities of fructose were consistent with low levels of endosperm invertase activity and much higher activities of endosperm sucrose synthase.Endosperm sucrose synthase activity reached an apparent maximum catalytic rate during the period of rapid dry weight accumulation. The levels of UDP in developing endosperms also reached a maximum at this time. The curve of UDP-dependent sucrose synthase initial reaction velocities was sigmoidal, thus endosperm UDP levels may regulate the catabolism of sucrose.Levels of ADP in developing wheat endosperms were higher than UDP but UDP-glucose was present in amounts approximating to twice those of ADP-glucose. This implies that ADP-dependent sucrose synthase activity was not predominant in the catabolism of sucrose in developing wheat endosperms.Hexose sugars require to be in the form of hexose phosphates prior to further metabolism by either glycolytic enzymes or ADP- and/or UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylases. G6P was present in consistently higher amounts than either G1P or F6P suggesting rapid phosphorylation of glucose by hexokinase. Levels of G1P rose to a maximum during endosperm dry weight accumulation and were quite adequate to account for the measured rates of maximum velocity for endosperm ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase. G1P may have been formed by the catabolism of UDP-glucose by the PPi-dependent UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase reaction. This enzyme activity was found to be 5-7 times higher in developing wheat endosperms than either sucrose synthase or ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase.Differences were observed in the properties of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylases from endosperm and leaf tissues suggesting that the control mechanisms differed between tissues. Both enzymes were partially purified by ammonium sulphate fractionation and the precipitates stored in 85 per cent ammonium sulphate. The endosperm enzyme was stable in the unfractionated extract and in the stored precipitate but, on subsequent dialysis of the stored precipitate, rapidly lost activity, with a half-life of about 4h. The dialysed activity was dependent on MgCl^ and was partially stabilised by Pi but was not activated by 3-PGA. The leaf enzyme was stable to fractionation by ammonium sulphate and to storage and dialysis but both the crude tissue and partially purified activities were dependent on the presence of 3-PGA.PPi was found to be an efficient inhibitor of endosperm ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase while Pi was not, implying that PPi must be removed from the site of ADP-glucose synthesis or hydrolysed. If the generation of G1P for ADP-glucose synthesis is a result of PPi-dependent catabolism of UDP-glucose then PPi/Pi metabolism may regulate starch biosynthesis in developing wheat endosperms

Ovine footrot: new insights into bacterial colonisation

Ovine footrot is characterised by interdigital dermatitis (ID) and by the separation of the skin and hoof horn (under-running footrot). Dichelobacter nodosus is the essential pathogen causing footrot; the role of other microorganisms in this disease remains unclear. The aims of this study were (i) to investigate the colonisation of D nodosus, Fusobacterium necrophorum and Treponema species in biopsies from the ovine interdigital skin of healthy, ID and footrot-affected feet and (ii) to characterise the virulence of D nodosus strains in those biopsies. Postslaughter biopsy samples (n=241) were collected and analysed by real-time PCR to determine prevalence and load of the different bacterial species. The highest prevalence and load of D nodosus were found on feet with ID. The vast majority of samples contained virulent D nodosus and some samples contained both virulent and benign D nodosus. Notably, the more pathogenic subspecies of F necrophorum was found in samples from UK sheep. Our findings provide further insights into the role bacterial colonisation may play in the early stage of ID and in the progression towards footrot

In vitro sensitivity testing of minimally passaged and uncultured gliomas with TRAIL and/or chemotherapy drugs

TRAIL/Apo-2L has shown promise as an anti-glioma drug, based on investigations of TRAIL sensitivity in established glioma cell lines, but it is not known how accurately TRAIL signalling pathways of glioma cells in vivo are reproduced in these cell lines in vitro. To replicate as closely as possible the in vivo behaviour of malignant glioma cells, 17 early passage glioma cell lines and 5 freshly resected gliomas were exposed to TRAIL-based agents and/or chemotherapeutic drugs. Normal human hepatocytes and astrocytes and established glioma cell lines were also tested. Cross-linked TRAIL, but not soluble TRAIL, killed both normal cell types and cells from three tumours. Cells from only one glioma were killed by soluble TRAIL, although only inefficiently. High concentrations of cisplatin were lethal to glioma cells, hepatocytes and astrocytes. Isolated combinations of TRAIL and chemotherapy drugs were more toxic to particular gliomas than normal cells, but no combination was generally selective for glioma cells. This study highlights the widespread resistance of glioma cells to TRAIL-based agents, but suggests that a minority of high-grade glioma patients may benefit from particular combinations of TRAIL and chemotherapy drugs. In vitro sensitivity assays may help identify effective drug combinations for individual glioma patients

In vitro sensitivity testing of minimally passaged and uncultured gliomas with TRAIL and/or chemotherapy drugs

Background: Depression is common in individuals with diabetes. The present study is the first randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of ω-3 ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid (E-EPA) as adjuvant to antidepressant medication in the treatment of depression in adults with diabetes mellitus. Methods: In the VU University Medical Center, we conducted a 12-week, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group intervention study of E-EPA (1 g/day) versus placebo in 25 diabetes patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder, who were already using antidepressant medication. The primary outcome was severity of depressive symptoms, assessed by the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at baseline and 12-week follow-up at two-weekly intervals. Blood samples were collected at baseline and at 12-week follow-up to determine EPA levels in erythrocyte membranes. Data were analyzed with ANOVA for repeated measures. Results: Thirteen participants were randomly assigned to E-EPA; 12 participants were given placebo. At 12-week follow-up, erythrocyte membranes from patients receiving E-EPA contained tripled levels of EPA, while no changes were noted in participants receiving placebo. In both groups, depressive symptoms significantly decreased over time (F = 21.14, p < 0.001), yet no significant differences were found between those treated with E-EPA versus placebo (F = 1.63, p = 0.17). Limitations: Although having sufficient study power, this study had a relatively small sample size. Small effects could not be detected, and dose-dependent effects could not be studied. Conclusions: No evidence was found for the efficacy of adding E-EPA to antidepressants in reducing depressive symptoms in diabetic patients with co-morbid depression. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

A novel 3D skin explant model to study anaerobic bacterial infection

Skin infection studies are often limited by financial and ethical constraints, and alternatives, such as monolayer cell culture, do not reflect many cellular processes limiting their application. For a more functional replacement, 3D skin culture models offer many advantages such as the maintenance of the tissue structure and the cell types present in the host environment. A 3D skin culture model can be set up using tissues acquired from surgical procedures or post slaughter, making it a cost effective and attractive alternative to animal experimentation. The majority of 3D culture models have been established for aerobic pathogens, but currently there are no models for anaerobic skin infections. Footrot is an anaerobic bacterial infection which affects the ovine interdigital skin causing a substantial animal welfare and financial impact worldwide. Dichelobacter nodosus is a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium and the causative agent of footrot. The mechanism of infection and host immune response to D. nodosus is poorly understood. Here we present a novel 3D skin ex vivo model to study anaerobic bacterial infections using ovine skin explants infected with D. nodosus. Our results demonstrate that D. nodosus can invade the skin explant, and that altered expression of key inflammatory markers could be quantified in the culture media. The viability of explants was assessed by tissue integrity (histopathological features) and cell death (DNA fragmentation) over 76 h showing the model was stable for 28 h. D. nodosus was quantified in all infected skin explants by qPCR and the bacterium was visualized invading the epidermis by Fluorescent in situ Hybridization. Measurement of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in the culture media revealed that the explants released IL1β in response to bacteria. In contrast, levels of CXCL8 production were no different to mock-infected explants. The 3D skin model realistically simulates the interdigital skin and has demonstrated that D. nodosus invades the skin and triggered an early cellular inflammatory response to this bacterium. This novel model is the first of its kind for investigating an anaerobic bacterial infection

Crop Updates 2011 - Cereals

This session covers eleven papers from different authors: OPENING, NEW CROP VARIETIES & DECISION SUPPORT Opening 1. Overview of the 2010 season, David Bowran, Director, Practice and Systems Innovation, Department of Agriculture and Food, 2. My experience in a drought as a farmer and consultant, Bill Crabtree, Morawa, Western Australia 3. Meeting the productivity and sustainability challenges to Australian agriculture until 2030, Peter Carberry, CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture Flagship New Crop Varieties 4. National Variety Trials (NTV) wheat variety performance – captivity vs broadacre, Peter Burgess, Kalyx Agriculture 5. WALAN2289 – a new lupin variety to replace Mandelup in the system, Bevan Buirchell, Department of Agriculture and Food 6. The strengths and pitfalls of different grades of new wheat varieties in Western Australia Ben Curtis, Sarah Ellis, Brenda Shackley, Christine Zaicou, Department of Agriculture and Food, 7. Yield performance of temperate and tropical rice varieties in the Ord River Irrigation Areas (ORIA) Siva Sivapalan, Penny Goldsmith and Gae Plunkett, Department of Agriculture and Food Decision Support 8. A new phenology model (DM) for wheat, Darshan Sharma, Mario D’Antuono, Brenda Shackley, Christine Zaicou, Ben Curtis, Department of Agriculture and Food 9. PeatFax Map and the Weed Seed Wizard: tools to help with crop protection, Art Diggle1, Peter Mangano1, Sally Peltzer1, Michael Renton2, Bill Macleod1, Fumie Horiuchi1, George Wyatt1 1Department of Agriculture and Food, 2University of Western Australia 10. Soil management calculator for predicting phosphorus losses under cropping systems in Western Australia, Geoff Anderson1, Richard Bell2, Ross Brennan1 and Wen Chen2, 1Department of Agriculture and Food, 2School of Environmental Science, Murdoch University 11. Tools to assist growers understand the impacts of management decisions in the high rainfall zone, Penny Riffkin, Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, Hamilto

The oncogenic properties of EWS/WT1 of desmoplastic small round cell tumors are unmasked by loss of p53 in murine embryonic fibroblasts

BACKGROUND: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is characterized by the presence of a fusion protein EWS/WT1, arising from the t (11;22) (p13;q12) translocation. Here we examine the oncogenic properties of two splice variants of EWS/WT1, EWS/WT1-KTS and EWS/WT1&thinsp;+&thinsp;KTS. METHODS: We over-expressed both EWS/WT1 variants in murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) of wild-type, p53+/- and p53-/- backgrounds and measured effects on cell-proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, clonogenicity after serum withdrawal, and sensitivity to cytotoxic drugs and gamma irradiation in comparison to control cells. We examined gene expression profiles in cells expressing EWS/WT1. Finally we validated our key findings in a small series of DSRCT. RESULTS: Neither isoform of EWS/WT1 was sufficient to transform wild-type MEFs however the oncogenic potential of both was unmasked by p53 loss. Expression of EWS/WT1 in MEFs lacking at least one allele of p53 enhanced cell-proliferation, clonogenic survival and anchorage-independent growth. EWS/WT1 expression in wild-type MEFs conferred resistance to cell-cycle arrest after irradiation and daunorubicin induced apoptosis. We show DSRCT commonly have nuclear localization of p53, and copy-number amplification of MDM2/MDMX. Expression of either isoform of EWS/WT1 induced characteristic mRNA expression profiles. Gene-set enrichment analysis demonstrated enrichment of WNT pathway signatures in MEFs expressing EWS/WT1&thinsp;+&thinsp;KTS. Wnt-activation was validated in cell lines with over-expression of EWS/WT1 and in DSRCT. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we show both isoforms of EWS/WT1 have oncogenic potential in MEFs with loss of p53. In addition we provide the first link between EWS/WT1 and Wnt-pathway signaling. These data provide novel insights into the function of the EWS/WT1 fusion protein which characterize DSRCT