Genetic Privacy: The Potential for Genetic Discrimination in Insurance

The threat of modern genetics has been perceived as coming, rather dramatically, from genetic engineering, but the less flashy field of medical genetic testing poses significant and immediate issues. This article discusses the potential for breach of confidentiality or invasion of privacy through the acquisition of information, the disclosure of information, and the potential for prejudicial use of that information by third parties. The author concludes that New Zealand's ethical and legal aspects of human genetics needed a review at the time of writing, recommending an advisory group to be set up to monitor developments in human genetics, facilitate discussion with all relevant persons, groups and bodies, and report on issues arising from new developments in human genetics that can be expected to have wider ethical, social, economic, and legal consequences. However, the author does not find it necessary to enact genetic-specific legislation.&nbsp

The Decalogue as a Transitional Model for Fear

God’s original intention for relationships was disrupted by the fall of man as recorded in Genesis 3. From that point, fear of man played an intricate role in both interpersonal relationships and decision-making. The purpose of the Decalogue was to moderate relationships among the people and with their God. However, there is an additional purpose as well. The Decalogue serves as a transitional model from fear of man to fear of the Lord. When God’s people live according to the precedents found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 their lifestyle no longer follows the pattern set by fallen humanity. Both passages open with the same directive, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2-3 and Deuteronomy 5:6-7, ESV). Placing this first determines priority, reminding the people that it was Yahweh who saved them from a lifestyle of slavery and also tells them how to walk in a relationship with him. These statements form the foundation on which the other commandments are built. When the first commandment is a priority, the other will naturally follow. Choosing to live according to the Decalogue supplies a directive for morality in interaction, overriding the fear of man and forming a lifestyle based upon the fear of the Lord

Images of Native American in Film: The Cases of Broken Arrow, Dances with Wolves, and Black Robe

This study demonstrates how the medium of film continues to depict Native Americans in stereotypical images. A critical analysis of three films: Broken Arrow (1950), Dances wilh-Wolves (1990), and Black Rohe (1992) supports the assumption and argument. Critical review of these films were made for images of how Native Americans are portrayed. The images include negative portrayals of culture, customs, language, and wardrobe. A compare and contrast tool demonstrates perpetuated stereotypical images of Hollywood negative portrayals of Native Americans. A brief history of motion pictures discusses and presents the development of stereotypical images mvolving Native Americans. The critical analysis of the films provides a detailed discussion of how each film relates to the other two in depicting stereotypical images which Hollywood created. The conclusion describes present efforts of contemporary Native Americans in film and television

Cryo-EM structure of a CD4-bound open HIV-1 envelope trimer reveals structural rearrangements of the gp120 V1V2 loop

The HIV-1 envelope (Env) glycoprotein, a trimer of gp120–gp41 heterodimers, relies on conformational flexibility to function in fusing the viral and host membranes. Fusion is achieved after gp120 binds to CD4, the HIV-1 receptor, and a coreceptor, capturing an open conformational state in which the fusion machinery on gp41 gains access to the target cell membrane. In the well-characterized closed Env conformation, the gp120 V1V2 loops interact at the apex of the Env trimer. Less is known about the structure of the open CD4-bound state, in which the V1V2 loops must rearrange and separate to allow access to the coreceptor binding site. We identified two anti–HIV-1 antibodies, the coreceptor mimicking antibody 17b and the gp120–gp41 interface-spanning antibody 8ANC195, that can be added as Fabs to a soluble native-like Env trimer to stabilize it in a CD4-bound conformation. Here, we present an 8.9-Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of a BG505 Env–sCD4–17b–8ANC195 complex, which reveals large structural rearrangements in gp120, but small changes in gp41, compared with closed Env structures. The gp120 protomers are rotated and separated in the CD4-bound structure, and the three V1V2 loops are displaced by ∼40 Å from their positions at the trimer apex in closed Env to the sides of the trimer in positions adjacent to, and interacting with, the three bound CD4s. These results are relevant to understanding CD4-induced conformational changes leading to coreceptor binding and fusion, and HIV-1 Env conformational dynamics, and describe a target structure relevant to drug design and vaccine efforts

DEPTH JUMP TRAINING AND THE VOLLEYBALL SPIKE

The dynamics of movement often combine high strength demands with speed requirements. We speak of the rise time of a force. or the power (work done per unit of time) exhibited in the perfo-rmance of a task. Success in numerous sports is dependent upon the ahility to meet the strength-speed demands; and this practical need leads us to questions about how one improves dynamic capahilities. It has been suggested that plyometric training is a means to this end (Verhoshanski, 1968)

The natural history of primary sclerosing cholangitis in 781 children. A multicenter, international collaboration

There are limited data on the natural history of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in children. We aimed to describe the disease characteristics and long-term outcomes of pediatric PSC. We retrospectively collected all pediatric PSC cases from 36 participating institutions and conducted a survival analysis from the date of PSC diagnosis to dates of diagnosis of portal hypertensive or biliary complications, cholangiocarcinoma, liver transplantation, or death. We analyzed patients grouped by disease phenotype and laboratory studies at diagnosis to identify objective predictors of long-term outcome. We identified 781 patients, median age 12 years, with 4,277 person-years of follow-up; 33% with autoimmune hepatitis, 76% with inflammatory bowel disease, and 13% with small duct PSC. Portal hypertensive and biliary complications developed in 38% and 25%, respectively, after 10 years of disease. Once these complications developed, median survival with native liver was 2.8 and 3.5 years, respectively. Cholangiocarcinoma occurred in 1%. Overall event-free survival was 70% at 5 years and 53% at 10 years. Patient groups with the most elevated total bilirubin, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index at diagnosis had the worst outcomes. In multivariate analysis PSC-inflammatory bowel disease and small duct phenotypes were associated with favorable prognosis (hazard ratios 0.6, 95% confidence interval 0.5-0.9, and 0.7, 95% confidence interval 0.5-0.96, respectively). Age, gender, and autoimmune hepatitis overlap did not impact long-term outcome. CONCLUSION: PSC has a chronic, progressive course in children, and nearly half of patients develop an adverse liver outcome after 10 years of disease; elevations in bilirubin, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index at diagnosis can identify patients at highest risk; small duct PSC and PSC-inflammatory bowel disease are more favorable disease phenotypes

Absence of system xc⁻ on immune cells invading the central nervous system alleviates experimental autoimmune encephalitis

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS), leading to neurodegeneration and chronic disability. Accumulating evidence points to a key role for neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity in this degenerative process. System x(c)- or the cystine/glutamate antiporter could tie these pathological mechanisms together: its activity is enhanced by reactive oxygen species and inflammatory stimuli, and its enhancement might lead to the release of toxic amounts of glutamate, thereby triggering excitotoxicity and neurodegeneration. Methods: Semi-quantitative Western blotting served to study protein expression of xCT, the specific subunit of system x(c)-, as well as of regulators of xCT transcription, in the normal appearing white matter (NAWM) of MS patients and in the CNS and spleen of mice exposed to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an accepted mouse model of MS. We next compared the clinical course of the EAE disease, the extent of demyelination, the infiltration of immune cells and microglial activation in xCT-knockout (xCT(-/-)) mice and irradiated mice reconstituted in xCT(-/-) bone marrow (BM), to their proper wild type (xCT(+/+)) controls. Results: xCT protein expression levels were upregulated in the NAWM of MS patients and in the brain, spinal cord, and spleen of EAE mice. The pathways involved in this upregulation in NAWM of MS patients remain unresolved. Compared to xCT(+/+) mice, xCT(-/-) mice were equally susceptible to EAE, whereas mice transplanted with xCT(-/-) BM, and as such only exhibiting loss of xCT in their immune cells, were less susceptible to EAE. In none of the above-described conditions, demyelination, microglial activation, or infiltration of immune cells were affected. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate enhancement of xCT protein expression in MS pathology and suggest that system x(c)- on immune cells invading the CNS participates to EAE. Since a total loss of system x(c)- had no net beneficial effects, these results have important implications for targeting system x(c)- for treatment of MS

A rationale for the development of evaluation and intervention strategies for presymbolic play as a cognitive tool in severely handicapped children

The paper presents theories and research regarding play and its relationship to cognitive development in normal infants. Play is identified as an important contributor to, and reflector of, cognition. Resources for teaching play are reviewed and found to be inadequate, with curriculum guides for play frequently teaching specific recreational skills, rather than self-directed play. Suggestions are made for needed research and development in the cognitive aspects of play for severely handicapped children who function at a presymbolic level. It is also suggested that existing materials be made more readily available to special educators through the use of computerized information systems.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 35-39)California State University, Northridge. Department of Education.A graduate project presented to the National Leadership Training Program, California State University at Northridge. National Leadership Training Program (NLTP) was established at California State University, Northridge in 1962 by a federal grant to train administrative personnel concerned with rehabilitation of the deaf