Dicer is required for female reproductive tract development and fertility in the mouse.

Dicer encodes a riboendonuclease required for microRNA biosynthesis. Dicer was inactivated in Müllerian duct mesenchyme-derived tissues of the reproductive tract of the mouse, using an Amhr2-Cre allele. Although Amhr2-Cre; Dicer conditional mutant males appeared normal and were fertile, mutant females were infertile. In adult mutant females, there was a reduction in the size of the oviducts and uterine horns. The oviducts were less coiled compared to controls and cysts formed at the isthmus near the uterotubal junction. Unfertilized, degenerate oocytes were commonly found within these cysts, indicating a defect in embryo transit. Beads transferred into the mutant oviduct failed to migrate into the uterus. In addition, blastocysts transferred directly into the mutant uterus did not result in pregnancy. Histological analysis demonstrated that the mutant uterus contained less glandular tissue and often the few glands that remained were found within the myometrium, an abnormal condition known as adenomyosis. In adult mutants, there was ectopic expression of Wnt4 and Wnt5a in the luminal epithelium (LE) and glandular epithelium (GE) of the uterus, and Wnt11 was ectopically expressed in GE. These results demonstrate that Dicer is necessary for postnatal differentiation of Müllerian duct mesenchyme-derived tissues of the female reproductive tract, suggesting that microRNAs are important regulators of female reproductive tract development and fertility

A patriarchy transformed: reproducing labor and the viability of smallholder agriculture in Kisii

This paper presents a historical analysis of the transformation of agricultural production and rural society in Kisii from the pre-colonial era through the present. Using a materialist approach, it outlines the key elements of the pre-colonial economy and society, analyzes the colonial transformation of that economy, and finally provides an analysis of current smallholder economy and its integration with the larger Kenyan economy. The goal is to address the question of how the reproduction of labor takes place and the transformation it has undergone over this century in order to assess the viability of smallholder agricultural production in Kisii today as a means of reproducing labor and as a basis of wealth generation within the larger context of Kenyan capitalism. The analysis is based on past historical and anthropological literature on Kisii, as well as eight months of field research this year in South Wanjare Location, Kisii

Immunobiology of Adenovirus-Vector Vaccines for MRSA

Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive, extracellular bacterium that has emerged as an important human pathogen. This bacterium is a leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in humans, often leading to invasive and life-threatening infections. Treatment of S. aureus infections is becoming more complicated due to the rise of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains, which are becoming increasingly resistant to a number of antibiotics. In the United States, invasive MRSA infections result in more deaths annually than any other infectious agent. Despite a dire need, there is currently no vaccine against S. aureus infections. The failure of past vaccine candidates may be due to a lack of understanding of immune correlates of protection and how to obtain them through vaccination. Additionally, attempts to develop vaccines have, up to this point, focused solely on eliciting high titer antibody responses to antigens. Accumulating evidence from human patients and in vivo studies suggest that CD4+ T cells are important mediators of protection from S. aureus infections. TH17 cells, and their namesake cytokine IL-17, are involved in protection against cutaneous infections. TH17 cells and IL-17 are important for neutrophil recruitment to sites of infection, which is required for clearance of S. aureus, as well as antimicrobial peptide (AMP) production from epithelial cells. Therefore, a protective vaccine will likely require a strong TH17 response to S. aureus antigen. Data also implicates TH1 cells and the associated cytokine IFN? as important mediators of protection against S. aureus, especially during invasive infection. Based on these data, the most effective vaccine will likely be one that can elicit strong TH17 and TH1 responses against vaccine antigens. My goal was to develop an adenovirus (Ad) vector based vaccine that could provide protection from cutaneous MRSA infections. Ad is an attractive vaccine vector due to its potent T cell adjuvant capabilities and high level and duration of transgene expression. As T cells have been shown to be important for immunity to S. aureus, I hypothesized that Ad vectors expressing domains from MRSA surface proteins as transgenes would elicit more potent T cell responses to these antigens than protein immunization and would provide protection from cutaneous infection. I generated Ad vectors expressing MRSA antigens and assessed the immune response induced by vaccination. I also assessed the ability of these Ad vectors to provide protection against MRSA infection using a mouse model of cutaneous infection

Genome-wide diversity and gene expression profiling of Babesia microti isolates identify polymorphic genes that mediate host-pathogen interactions

Babesia microti, a tick-transmitted, intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite circulating mainly among small mammals, is the primary cause of human babesiosis. While most cases are transmitted by Ixodes ticks, the disease may also be transmitted through blood transfusion and perinatally. A comprehensive analysis of genome composition, genetic diversity, and gene expression profiling of seven B. microti isolates revealed that genetic variation in isolates from the Northeast United States is almost exclusively associated with genes encoding the surface proteome and secretome of the parasite. Furthermore, we found that polymorphism is restricted to a small number of genes, which are highly expressed during infection. In order to identify pathogen-encoded factors involved in host-parasite interactions, we screened a proteome array comprised of 174 B. microti proteins, including several predicted members of the parasite secretome. Using this immuno-proteomic approach we identified several novel antigens that trigger strong host immune responses during the onset of infection. The genomic and immunological data presented herein provide the first insights into the determinants of B. microti interaction with its mammalian hosts and their relevance for understanding the selective pressures acting on parasite evolution

Midwest China Oral History Interviews

Early Life: family background; education; accepted as missionary by Evangelical Lutheran Church Mission Board, 1947. China Experiences: adjusting to life in Peking; effects of civil war upon Peking; experiences with inflation; travels to Kuling and Shanghai; trip to and experiences at Lutheran mission compound at Sinyang; experiences as principal of American School-Kikungshan (Hong Kong), 1948-1949; closes ASK, June 1949; evaluates effects of living in China; missionaries interfere with indigenous church after WWII; response to Daniel Nelson, Jr.; response to the Kuomingtang; response to the People\u27s Republic of China (PRC); suggestions for future church policies toward PRC; analysis of possible psychological origin of anti-Communist feelings of many missionaries; contribution of missionary endeavor to American Christianity and way of life.https://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/china_histories/1044/thumbnail.jp

Envelope addressed to Sonora Dodd, June 25, 1915

Envelope addressed to Mrs. John Bruce Dodd (Sonora Dodd) from Orvis T. Dwinell.https://digitalcommons.whitworth.edu/fathers-day-correspondence/1019/thumbnail.jp

The Speech Sound Status of a Small Group of Low-Grade Feeble-Minded Children

The speech sounds of a group of ten feeble-minded children with an average age of three years were transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet at a year\u27s interval. Comparisons were made of the two transcriptions. Further comparisons were made of the transcriptions of these feeble-minded children\u27s records with six month old infants and with adult speech sound transcriptions