Snapshots from Jerusalem

This article is about the author\u27s visit to Jerusalem during her sabbatical. She discusses the history of as well as the modern ethnic tensions in the city and what this means for daily life there. Weiss also explores both the Israeli and Arab elements of the city, and provides cases in which both groups are coming together to work and live together peacefully

The development of NA⁺-dependent hexose transport in LLC-PK₁: a model for epithelial differentiation

Na+-dependent hexose transport, a secondary active transport system found in the small intestine and the proximal tubule of the kidney was used as a marker for epithelial differentiation in LLC-PK1, a cell line isolated from juvenile pig kidney by R. N. Hull. LLC-PK1 acquires Na^+-dependent hexose transport at confluence, when approximately 90% of the cells are quiescent, and transport levels increase continuously over time in culture. The appearance of this transport system can be stimulated by phosphodiesterase inhibitors, such as theophylline and MIX, and inhibited by TPA, a powerful tumor promoter. When the cells differentiate, the population acquires an increased capacity for Na+-dependent hexose transport, without a change in the rate constant for uptake. Several proposed mechanisms which could account for the observed increase in hexose transport levels were examined. The first possibility was that the efflux pathway for α-meG, a nonmetabolizable glucose analog specific for Na+ cotransport, declined over time in culture. Efflux was first order, with a rate constant of 0.48 hr-1, and was not altered by phlorizin, a competitive inhibitor of this transport system, or by cytochalasin B, an inhibitor of the facilitated diffusion transporter. Therefore, it was concluded that the primary pathway for efflux of α-meG in this cell line was via passive diffusion. The transporter was shown to be reversible. When ouabain was added to discharge the Na+ electrical gradient, the efflux rate constant increased to 0.65 h-1. This component could be transstimulated by adding a high concentration of nonradioactive extracellular α-meG and was inhibited to control levels by phlorizin. The rate constant for efflux remained the same at all levels of hexose transport, indicating that this was not the mechanism responsible for the development of Na+ cotransport capacity by these cells. Several mechanisms involving an increase in the influx component of the accumulation process were examined. An increase in the Na+ electrochemical gradient was ruled out by data from Kurt Amsler and Carolyn Shaffer, who showed that the gradient actually declined at confluence. The development of gap junctions between transporting and nontransporting cells might also generate an increased capacity for hexose transport but these cells had no gap junctions when examined by fluorescein dye transfer, electrical coupling and freeze fracture analysis. A method of separating transporting from nontransporting cells by density centrifugation in Percoll was developed in order to study the remaining two mechan-isms: an increase in the number of transporters per cell, and a progressive recruitment of nontransporting cells to a transporting population. Cells were incubated in Na-gluconate medium containing no K+, Cl-, or phosphate in order to inhibit volume regulation. In this medium, cells were unable to accumulate &alpha-meG. Attempts made to restore the electrical gradient by adding NaCl or NaCl plus bicarbonate were unsuccessful. When 2 mM (NH4)2SO4, which is transported by the Na,K-ATPase in place of K+, was added, Na+ cotransport levels were restored, indicating that the maintenance of the Na+ gradient was necessary for transport. In this medium, cells that took up α-meG were less dense and banded at a lighter density in Percoll than control cells. Phlorizin inhibited the movement of these cells on the gradient. A mixture of transporting and nontransporting cells could only be separated in the presence of &aplha;-meG. A timecourse of the development of Na+-dependent hexose transport conducted over a 20-day period showed a development of a transporting peak at a lighter density which increased in size over time while the nontransporting peak declined. Although it appeared that the cells were recruited gradually to a differentiating population, the radioactive α-meG curve was skewed to the left, which indicated that it took several days for the recruited cells to acquire all their transporters and reach their full capacity for α-meG transport. The question of whether this cell line undergoes terminal differentiation was also examined. Fractions of cells from two Percoll gradients—with and without α-meG—were replated under sterile conditions. Plating efficiencies and ability to incorporate thymidine were the same for transporting and nontransporting cells. Therefore, these cells do not undergo irreversible loss of growth potential as a prerequisite for differentiation. However, this experiment was only carried out for two cell cycles. Therefore, it does not rule out the possibility that these cells undergo terminal differentiation

Examining the Predictive Abilities of Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Grit

A growing body of evidence indicates that positive psychology constructs are related to better mental health. In particular, greater mindfulness and self-compassion are associated with better psychological well-being, and some research suggests that grit may be related to less depression. This study explored the extent to which mindfulness, self-compassion, and grit uniquely predicted well-being. Participants were 228 college students (75.9% female, 78.9% White, Mage = 19.84 years) who completed a series of questionnaires. Overall, greater self-compassion and greater mindfulness were uniquely associated with better well-being. Furthermore, self-compassion partially mediated the relation between mindfulness and well-being. In general, grit was not significantly related to the well-being outcomes. These findings support the existing literature regarding the benefits of mindfulness and self-compassion and suggest that self-compassion may be a mechanism of action in mindfulness-based interventions

Advancing Women, Changing Lives A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Gap Inc. P.A.C.E. Program

Globally the garment industry is one of the biggest employers of low-skilled women workers. Despite their large numbers in the workforce, relatively few female garment workers advance to higher-level positions as they have limited opportunities to acquire the skills that would enable their professional and personal growth. In response to this need, Gap Inc. initiated the P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement) workplace education program to teach women the managerial, interpersonal, organizational and other practical skills needed to move forward in work and in life. This report summarizes findings from program evaluations conducted by ICRW from 2009 - 2013 at six factory sites where P.A.C.E. is implemented - two in India and one each in Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and China.Research findings from these robust, multi-country evaluations demonstrate that P.A.C.E. is an effective, sustainable and scalable model that yields high returns for women, their families and the businesses where they work

HIV and Partner Violence: Implications for HIV Voluntary\ud Counseling and Testing Programs in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

This study explored the links between HIV infection, serostatus disclosure, and partner violence among women attending a VCT clinic in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Men and women both perceive HIV testing as a way to plan for the future but are motivated to undergo testing by a number of different individual, relationship, and environmental factors. The women in our study described more barriers to HIV testing than did men, and women who have communicated with their partners about VCT before seeking services are significantly more likely to share their HIV test results than those who have not talked with their partners. Findings from this study led to a number of recommendations that could reduce the barriers women face in getting tested for HIV and in disclosing their serostatus to their partners, as well as reduce levels of partner violence. These recommendations pertain to VCT services as well as to the wider community and policy environment

Sox2 -Deficient Müller Glia Disrupt the Structural and Functional Maturation of the Mammalian Retina

Müller glia (MG), the principal glial cells of the vertebrate retina, display quiescent progenitor cell characteristics. They express key progenitor markers, including the high mobility group box transcription factor SOX2 and maintain a progenitor-like morphology. In the embryonic and mature central nervous system, SOX2 maintains neural stem cell identity. However, its function in committed Müller glia has yet to be determined

Capacity Fade in Lithium-Ion Batteries and Cyclic Aging over Various State-of-Charge Ranges

In order to develop long-lifespan batteries, it is of utmost importance to identify the relevant aging mechanisms and their relation to operating conditions. The capacity loss in a lithium-ion battery originates from (i) a loss of active electrode material and (ii) a loss of active lithium. The focus of this work is the capacity loss caused by lithium loss, which is irreversibly bound to the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) on the graphite surface. During operation, the particle surface suffers from dilation, which causes the SEI to break and then be rebuilt, continuously. The surface dilation is expected to correspond with the well-known graphite staging mechanism. Therefore, a high-power 2.6 Ah graphite/LiNiCoAlO2 cell (Sony US18650VTC5) is cycled at different, well-defined state-of-charge (SOC) ranges, covering the different graphite stages. An open circuit voltage model is applied to quantify the loss mechanisms (i) and (ii). The results show that the lithium loss is the dominant cause of capacity fade under the applied conditions. They experimentally prove the important influence of the graphite stages on the lifetime of a battery. Cycling the cell at SOCs slightly above graphite Stage II results in a high active lithium loss and hence in a high capacity fade

Microfinance and households coping with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe: An exploratory study

This study, conducted in Zimbabwe, sought to better understand the relationship between a microfinance program, Zambuko Trust, and how microentrepreneurs’ households cope with the impact of HIV/AIDS. The study examined how HIV/AIDS is affecting Zambuko’s operations and what microfinance institutions (MFIs) can do to lessen the impact of HIV/AIDS on their clients and operations. The findings indicate several small yet important ways that MFI programs help microentrepreneurs and their families respond to these impacts through access to credit and business management training. Participation in a microfinance program led to income smoothing and better financial management, which can help households mitigate the economic shock caused by HIV/AIDS. A number of recommendations emerged from the study that have policy, program, and research implications for MFIs, AIDS service organizations, donors, and governments

Reduced phosphoCREB in Müller glia during retinal degeneration in rd10 mice

The mechanisms that trigger retinal degeneration are not well understood, despite the availability of several animal models with different mutations. In the present report, the rd10 mouse, a model for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) that contains a mutation in the gene for PDE6β (Pde6b), is used to evaluate gliosis, as a marker for retinal stress, and cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation, which may be important early in retinal degeneration