Income Insecurity and Youth Emancipation: A Theoretical Approach

n this paper, we propose a theoretical model to study the effect of income insecurity of parents and offspring on the child's residential choice. Parents are partially altruistic toward their children and will provide financial help to an independent child when her income is low relative to the parents'. We find that children of more altruistic parents are more likely to become independent. However, first-order stochastic dominance (FOSD) shifts in the distribution of the child's future income (or her parents') have ambiguous effects on the child's residential choice. Parental altruism is the very source of ambiguity in the results. If parents are selfish or the joint income distribution of parents and child places no mass on the region where transfers are provided, a FOSD shift in the distribution of the child's (parents') future income will reduce (raise) the child's current income threshold for independence.

Endogenous angiotensinergic system in neurons of rat and human trigeminal ganglia

To clarify the role of Angiotensin II (Ang II) in the sensory system and especially in the trigeminal ganglia, we studied the expression of angiotensinogen (Ang-N)-, renin-, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)- and cathepsin D-mRNA, and the presence of Ang II and substance P in the rat and human trigeminal ganglia. The rat trigeminal ganglia expressed substantial amounts of Ang-N- and ACE mRNA as determined by quantitative real time PCR. Renin mRNA was untraceable in rat samples. Cathepsin D was detected in the rat trigeminal ganglia indicating the possibility of existence of pathways alternative to renin for Ang I formation. In situ hybridization in rat trigeminal ganglia revealed expression of Ang-N mRNA in the cytoplasm of numerous neurons. By using immunocytochemistry, a number of neurons and their processes in both the rat and human trigeminal ganglia were stained for Ang II. Post in situ hybridization immunocytochemistry reveals that in the rat trigeminal ganglia some, but not all Ang-N mRNA-positive neurons marked for Ang II. In some neurons Substance P was found colocalized with Ang II. Angiotensins from rat trigeminal ganglia were quantitated by radioimmunoassay with and without prior separation by high performance liquid chromatography. Immunoreactive angiotensin II (ir-Ang II) was consistently present and the sum of true Ang II (1-8) octapeptide and its specifically measured metabolites were found to account for it. Radioimmunological and immunocytochemical evidence of ir-Ang II in neuronal tissue is compatible with Ang II as a neurotransmitter. In conclusion, these results suggest that Ang II could be produced locally in the neurons of rat trigeminal ganglia. The localization and colocalization of neuronal Ang II with Substance P in the trigeminal ganglia neurons may be the basis for a participation and function of Ang II in the regulation of nociception and migraine pathology.

Quantitative isolation of mouse and human intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes by elutriation centrifugation

Intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) are specialized subsets of T cells with distinct functional capacities. While some IEL subsets are circulating, others such as CD8alphaalpha TCRalphabeta IEL are believed to represent non-circulating resident T cell subsets [Sim, G.K., Intraepithelial lymphocytes and the immune system. Adv. Immunol., 1995. 58: 297-343.]. Current methods to obtain enriched preparations of intraepithelial lymphocytes are mostly based on Percoll density gradient or magnetic bead-based technologies [Lundqvist, C., et al., Isolation of functionally active intraepithelial lymphocytes and enterocytes from human small and large intestine. J. Immunol. Methods, 1992. 152(2): 253-263.]. However, these techniques are hampered by a generally low yield of isolated cells, and potential artifacts due to the interference of the isolation procedure with subsequent functional assays, in particular, when antibodies against cell surface markers are required. Here we describe a new method for obtaining relatively pure populations of intestinal IEL (55-75%) at a high yield (>85%) by elutriation centrifugation. This technique is equally suited for the isolation and enrichment of intraepithelial lymphocytes of both mouse and human origin. Time requirements for fractionating cell suspensions by elutriation centrifugation are comparable to Percoll-, or MACS-based isolation procedures. Hence, the substantially higher yield and the consistent robust enrichment for intraepithelial lymphocytes, together with the gentle treatment of the cells during elutriation that does not interfere with subsequent functional assays, are important aspects that are in favor of using this elegant technology to obtain unmanipulated, unbiased populations of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes, and, if desired, also of pure epithelial cells.

Effects of experimental inbreeding on herbivore resistance and plant fitness: the role of history of inbreeding, herbivory and abiotic factors

Inbreeding is common in plant populations and can affect plant fitness and resistance against herbivores. These effects are likely to depend on population history. In a greenhouse experiment with plants from 17 populations of Lychnis flos-cuculi, we studied the effects of experimental inbreeding on resistance and plant fitness. Depending on the levels of past herbivory and abiotic factors at the site of plant origin, we found either inbreeding or outbreeding depression in herbivore resistance. Furthermore, when not damaged experimentally by snail herbivores, plants from populations with higher heterozygosity suffered from inbreeding depression and those from populations with lower heterozygosity suffered from outbreeding depression. These effects of inbreeding and outbreeding were not apparent under experimental snail herbivory. We conclude that inbreeding effects on resistance and plant fitness depend on population history. Moreover, herbivory can mask inbreeding effects on plant fitness. Thus, understanding inbreeding effects on plant fitness requires studying multiple populations and considering population history and biotic interactions.

Novel functional profiling approach combining reverse phase protein microarrays and human 3-D ex vivo tissue cultures: expression of apoptosis-related proteins in human colon cancer

Cancer is caused by a complex pattern of molecular perturbations. To understand the biology of cancer, it is thus important to look at the activation state of key proteins and signaling networks. The limited amount of available sample material from patients and the complexity of protein expression patterns make the use of traditional protein analysis methods particularly difficult. In addition, the only approach that is currently available for performing functional studies is the use of serial biopsies, which is limited by ethical constraints and patient acceptance. The goal of this work was to establish a 3-D ex vivo culture technique in combination with reverse-phase protein microarrays (RPPM) as a novel experimental tool for use in cancer research. The RPPM platform allows the parallel profiling of large numbers of protein analytes to determine their relative abundance and activation level. Cancer tissue and the respective corresponding normal tissue controls from patients with colorectal cancer were cultured ex vivo. At various time points, the cultured samples were processed into lysates and analyzed on RPPM to assess the expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and 24 proteins involved in the regulation of apoptosis. The methodology displayed good robustness and low system noise. As a proof of concept, CEA expression was significantly higher in tumor compared with normal tissue (p<0.0001). The caspase 9 expression signal was lower in tumor tissue than in normal tissue (p<0.001). Cleaved Caspase 8 (p=0.014), Bad (p=0.007), Bim (p=0.007), p73 (p=0.005), PARP (p<0.001), and cleaved PARP (p=0.007) were differentially expressed in normal liver and normal colon tissue. We demonstrate here the feasibility of using RPPM technology with 3-D ex vivo cultured samples. This approach is useful for investigating complex patterns of protein expression and modification over time. It should allow functional proteomics in patient samples with various applications such as pharmacodynamic analyses in drug development.

The Impact of Job Characteristics on Social and Human Service Workers

The work environment characteristics of job stress, job variety, job autonomy, and supervision are theorized to affect the job satisfaction and organizational commitment of social and human service workers. Most research to date has focused upon the impact of these variables on job satisfaction, with little attention being paid to organizational commitment. To determine the effects these characteristics have on both job satisfaction and organizational commitment, data from a survey of social and human service employees across Northwest Ohio were examined. In Ordinary Least Squares regression, all four job characteristics had a significant impact on job satisfaction, while only job variety and supervision had statistically significant effects on organizational commitment.

Climatic and human impacts on mountain vegetation at Lauenensee (Bernese Alps, Switzerland) during the last 14,000 years

Lake sediments from Lauenensee (1381 m a.s.l.), a small lake in the Bernese Alps, were analysed to reconstruct the vegetation and fire history. The chronology is based on 11 calibrated radiocarbon dates on terrestrial plant macrofossils suggesting a basal age of 14,200 cal. BP. Pollen and macrofossil data imply that treeline never reached the lake catchment during the Bølling–Allerød interstadial. Treeline north of the Alps was depressed by c. 300 altitudinal meters, if compared with southern locations. We attribute this difference to colder temperatures and to unbuffered cold air excursions from the ice masses in northern Europe. Afforestation started after the Younger Dryas at 11,600 cal. BP. Early-Holocene tree-Betula and Pinus sylvestris forests were replaced by Abies alba forests around 7500 cal. BP. Continuous high-resolution pollen and macrofossil series allow quantitative assessments of vegetation dynamics at 5900–5200 cal. BP (first expansion of Picea abies, decline of Abies alba) and 4100–2900 cal. BP (first collapse of Abies alba). The first signs of human activity became noticeable during the late Neolithic c. 5700–5200 cal. BP. Cross-correlation analysis shows that the expansion of Alnus viridis and the replacement of Abies alba by Picea abies after c. 5500 cal. BP was most likely a consequence of human disturbance. Abies alba responded very sensitively to a combination of fire and grazing disturbance. Our results imply that the current dominance of Picea abies in the upper montane and subalpine belts is a consequence of anthropogenic activities through the millennia.

Antimicrobial resistance and resistance gene determinants in clinical Escherichia coli from different animal species in Switzerland

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on a total of 581 clinical Escherichia coli isolates from diarrhea and edema disease in pigs, from acute mastitis in dairy cattle, from urinary tract infections in dogs and cats, and from septicemia in laying hens collected in Switzerland between 1999 and 2001. Among the 16 antimicrobial agents tested, resistance was most frequent for sulfonamides, tetracycline, and streptomycin. Isolates from swine presented significantly more resistance than those from the other animal species. The distribution of the resistance determinants for sulfonamides, tetracycline, and streptomycin was assessed by hybridization and PCR in resistant isolates. Significant differences in the distribution of resistance determinants for tetracycline (tetA, tetB) and sulfonamides (sulII) were observed between the isolates from swine and those from the other species. Resistance to sulfonamides could not be explained by known resistance mechanisms in more than a quarter of the sulfonamide-resistant and sulfonamide-intermediate isolates from swine, dogs and cats. This finding suggests that one or several new resistance mechanisms for sulfonamides may be widespread among E. coli isolates from these animal species. The integrase gene (intI) from class I integrons was detected in a large proportion of resistant isolates in association with the sulI and aadA genes, thus demonstrating the importance of integrons in the epidemiology of resistance in clinical E. coli isolates from animals.