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The social sciences, in studying both inter-subjective and objective or structural aspects of society, are sometime referred to as soft sciences. This is in contrast to hard sciences, which may focus exclusively on objective aspects of nature.
Social scientists engage in research and theorize about both aggregate and individual behaviors.
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UC Davis News: General Interest
Study Reveals How Plants and Bacteria ‘Talk’ to Thwart Disease
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
When it comes to plants’ innate immunity, like many of the dances of life, it takes two to tango. A receptor molecule in the plant pairs up with a specific molecule on the invading bacteria and, presto, the immune system swings into action to defend against the invasion of the disease-causing microbe. Unwrapping some of the mystery from how plants and bacteria communicate in this dance of immunity, scientists at the University of California, Davis, have identified the bacterial signaling molecule that matches up with a specific receptor in rice plants to ward off a devastating disease known as bacterial blight of rice. The researchers, led by UC Davis plant pathologist Pamela Ronald, will publish their findings in the Nov. 6 issue of the journal Science. “The new discovery of this bacterial signaling molecule helps us better understand how the innate immune system operates,” Ronald said. “Because similar pairs of receptors and bacterial signaling molecules are known to exist not only in rice but also in other plants, as well as animals and humans, we are hopeful that this work will lead to new strategies for controlling diseases in plants and people,” she said. Disease resistance background In 1995, Ronald’s laboratory identified the XA21 gene, which produces a receptor protein that recognizes Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae, also known as Xoo, which causes bacterial blight disease. Xoo and other species of Xanthomonas infect virtually every crop species in the world. Subsequent discoveries revealed that receptors with striking structural similarities to the XA21 receptor protein exist in other plants, flies, mice and even humans. These receptors were later named pattern recognition receptors or PRRs because they have the ability to recognize molecules that occur across species in a large class of disease-causing microbes. These receptors then can launch a protective immune defense on behalf of the plant or animal. Together, the receptors (PRRs) and the microbial molecules they recognize comprise a previously unknown system of immunity called innate immunity. As the name suggests, this form of immunity is built into the genetic makeup of the plant, rather than developing over time with repeated exposure to disease-causing microbes. Unlike animals, plants do not produce antibodies. The new findings In their newly published study, Ronald and her colleagues identified a peptide -- a compound that they call ax21 -- as the molecule that binds with the XA21 receptor protein. The binding triggers a defense response against the bacterial disease. The researchers note that ax21 is also found in many other species of Xanthomonas as well as in Xylella fastidiosa, a microbe that causes the devastating Pierce’s disease in grapes. Furthermore, ax21 is even found in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a bacterium that causes respiratory tract infections in humans. “These studies have led to a convergence in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern how disease-causing microbes interact with the plants and animals they infect,” Ronald said. “We are hopeful that these discoveries will benefit agriculture and medicine in the United States and around the world by leading to development of treatments that will disrupt bacterial infection,” she said. Working with Ronald on this study were Sang-Won Lee, Sang-Wook Han, Malinee Sririyanum, Chang-Jin Park and Young-Su Seo, all researchers in the UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology. Funding for the study was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and by the National Institutes of Health. About UC Davis For 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 31,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $500 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science -- and advanced degrees from six professional schools -- Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.
Genome Sequence for the Domestic Horse to Be Unveiled
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
The whole genome sequence of the domestic horse has been completed by the genome-sequencing center of The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, in collaboration with an international team of researchers that includes scientists at the University of California, Davis. Findings from the genome sequence have important implications for improved breeding of horses, which constitute a $39 billion industry in the United States alone, and for studies of human health. They will be reported in the Nov. 6 issue of the journal Science. “This very high-quality genome sequence of the horse is important because it gives us access to specific sequence information that we can now apply to identify the genes for specific traits in the horse,” said geneticist Cecilia Penedo of UC Davis’ Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, a co-author on the paper. As a collaborator in the international Horse Genome Project, Penedo contributed to the genome sequencing effort by supplying DNA from Arabian horses and Quarter horses and by working on a horse linkage map, which identified a linear order of genetic markers along the horse chromosomes. Also collaborating on the project from UC Davis were James Murray, a professor of animal science who has worked with the Horse Genome Project since its inception in 1995, and Stephanie Pedroni, then a UC Davis staff researcher and genetics graduate student. “Having access to multiple genome sequences makes it easier to understand all genomes, including our own,” Murray said. “By looking at the horse genome, we can better understand human biology and human diseases.” In reporting the horse genome sequence, the researchers noted that there are more than 90 hereditary conditions that affect both humans and horses. Because horses share these conditions, which include infertility, inflammatory diseases and muscle disorders, the horse is an important model for improving the understanding of human diseases. The sequencing project revealed that the horse genome is somewhat larger than the dog genome and smaller than the human and cow genomes. In comparing the horse and human chromosomes, the researchers discovered that 17 out of 32 -- or 53 percent of -- horse chromosome pairs are composed of material from a single human chromosome, while only 29 percent of dog chromosomes are composed of material from a single human chromosome. This indicates that fewer chromosome rearrangements separate humans from horses than separate humans from dogs. The researchers were also surprised to find on horse chromosome 11 the existence of an evolutionarily new centromere. Centromeres are key structural features of chromosomes that are necessary for their movement when cells divide, a function that ensures normal distribution of all genetic material to each daughter cell. The functional but evolutionarily immature centromere in the horse may provide a model to study factors responsible for how centromeres function. Penedo noted that the completion of the high-quality horse genome sequence has provided researchers around the world with ready access to specific gene sequences that can be applied to mapping various traits of the horse. She and genetics graduate student Leah Brault are using this information in their research focused on identifying the cause of equine cerebellar abiotrophy, a genetic, neurological condition found almost exclusively in Arabian horses. Studies have shown that a horse can carry the gene for equine cerebellar abiotrophy and not be affected by it. However, if two horses carrying the gene are bred, there is a 25-percent likelihood that the resulting foal will manifest the condition, which causes serious neurological problems including head tremors and poor equilibrium. The sequencing of the horse genome was funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Foundation, the Volkswagen Foundation, the Morris Animal Foundation, and Italy's Programmi di Ricerca Scientifica di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale. About UC Davis For 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 31,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $500 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science -- and advanced degrees from six professional schools -- Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.
Banking Agreement to Help Fund Student Services
Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
UC Davis has entered into a 10-year agreement with U.S. Bank that will provide nearly $3 million to support student services and bring the campus its first bank branch. U.S. Bank is counting on advertising privileges and a new campus identification card -- with a bank logo on the back and optional ATM access -- to help generate new customers. Although the agreement had its beginnings in 2005 with a campus study and competitive process, its implementation now will help sustain student services through more recent state budget cuts. "By forging public-private partnerships," said Fred Wood, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, "the university has embraced a much-needed entrepreneurial spirit, one that balances the unique needs of our community with opportunities to generate new revenue." The agreement will establish a bank branch in the Memorial Union Building on campus next summer; add six U.S. Bank ATMs this spring to the existing seven on campus that belong to five banks and credit unions; and allow for limited advertisements and signage featuring U.S. Bank at certain campus events and facilities. In addition, the university next fall will roll out a new card for employee and student identification. The card will offer optional access to U.S. Bank's debit and ATM services and display a small bank logo on the back. U.S. Bank is guaranteeing the university annual payments of $130,000 to $780,000 a year based on the number of banking accounts activated; the partners estimate an average annual payment of $280,000. The bank will also offer optional financial literacy and credit management seminars for students. Wood said he recognizes that there are concerns about corporate partnerships at a public university. In developing the bank partnership, Student Affairs adopted a set of guiding principles that require "a process that is open, fair and competitive, consultative, and readily available for scrutiny and discussion." Student Affairs and the undergraduate and graduate student associations have reached their own written agreement about the bank partnership. Joe Chatham, president of the Associated Students of UC Davis, said he and former ASUCD president Ivan Carrillo helped work out how the student body will benefit from the partnership revenue. Under the campus agreement, a student-majority committee will advise the vice chancellor about what services should be underwritten by the partnership and how funds should be used. "I am pleased that students are participating in deciding how the partnership will help the programs and services we use," Chatham said. The partnership funding will be shared among broad-based student programs and services that focus on campus relations and community development or provide direct academic support as well as with registered student organizations, student lounges, campus recreation, and intercollegiate athletics, among others. In 2005, the university invited multiple banks to submit a proposal for financial services on the campus. In the end, U.S. Bank was selected. The university has been involved in contract negotiations and campus consultations since then. U.S. Bank operates branches on 21 college campuses in 10 states.
University of Chicago Press: Current Anthropology: Table of Contents
Editorial: The First 50 Years
help@www.journals.uchicago.edu (Mark Aldenderfer) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:06:14 -0000
Current Anthropology, Volume 50, Issue 6, Page 753, December 2009.
Anthropological Currents
Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:03:29 -0000
Current Anthropology, Volume 50, Issue 6, Page 755-756, December 2009.
Current Applications
help@www.journals.uchicago.edu (M. N. Gemein) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:06:21 -0000
Current Anthropology, Volume 50, Issue 6, Page 757, December 2009.
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Study Reveals How Plants and Bacteria ‘Talk’ to Thwart Disease
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
When it comes to plants’ innate immunity, like many of the dances of life, it takes two to tango. A receptor molecule in the plant pairs up with a specific molecule on the invading bacteria and, presto, the immune system swings into action to defend against the invasion of the disease-causing microbe. Unwrapping some of the mystery from how plants and bacteria communicate in this dance of immunity, scientists at the University of California, Davis, have identified the bacterial signaling molecule that matches up with a specific receptor in rice plants to ward off a devastating disease known as bacterial blight of rice. The researchers, led by UC Davis plant pathologist Pamela Ronald, will publish their findings in the Nov. 6 issue of the journal Science. “The new discovery of this bacterial signaling molecule helps us better understand how the innate immune system operates,” Ronald said. “Because similar pairs of receptors and bacterial signaling molecules are known to exist not only in rice but also in other plants, as well as animals and humans, we are hopeful that this work will lead to new strategies for controlling diseases in plants and people,” she said. Disease resistance background In 1995, Ronald’s laboratory identified the XA21 gene, which produces a receptor protein that recognizes Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae, also known as Xoo, which causes bacterial blight disease. Xoo and other species of Xanthomonas infect virtually every crop species in the world. Subsequent discoveries revealed that receptors with striking structural similarities to the XA21 receptor protein exist in other plants, flies, mice and even humans. These receptors were later named pattern recognition receptors or PRRs because they have the ability to recognize molecules that occur across species in a large class of disease-causing microbes. These receptors then can launch a protective immune defense on behalf of the plant or animal. Together, the receptors (PRRs) and the microbial molecules they recognize comprise a previously unknown system of immunity called innate immunity. As the name suggests, this form of immunity is built into the genetic makeup of the plant, rather than developing over time with repeated exposure to disease-causing microbes. Unlike animals, plants do not produce antibodies. The new findings In their newly published study, Ronald and her colleagues identified a peptide -- a compound that they call ax21 -- as the molecule that binds with the XA21 receptor protein. The binding triggers a defense response against the bacterial disease. The researchers note that ax21 is also found in many other species of Xanthomonas as well as in Xylella fastidiosa, a microbe that causes the devastating Pierce’s disease in grapes. Furthermore, ax21 is even found in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a bacterium that causes respiratory tract infections in humans. “These studies have led to a convergence in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern how disease-causing microbes interact with the plants and animals they infect,” Ronald said. “We are hopeful that these discoveries will benefit agriculture and medicine in the United States and around the world by leading to development of treatments that will disrupt bacterial infection,” she said. Working with Ronald on this study were Sang-Won Lee, Sang-Wook Han, Malinee Sririyanum, Chang-Jin Park and Young-Su Seo, all researchers in the UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology. Funding for the study was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and by the National Institutes of Health. About UC Davis For 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 31,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $500 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science -- and advanced degrees from six professional schools -- Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.
Genome Sequence for the Domestic Horse to Be Unveiled
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
The whole genome sequence of the domestic horse has been completed by the genome-sequencing center of The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, in collaboration with an international team of researchers that includes scientists at the University of California, Davis. Findings from the genome sequence have important implications for improved breeding of horses, which constitute a $39 billion industry in the United States alone, and for studies of human health. They will be reported in the Nov. 6 issue of the journal Science. “This very high-quality genome sequence of the horse is important because it gives us access to specific sequence information that we can now apply to identify the genes for specific traits in the horse,” said geneticist Cecilia Penedo of UC Davis’ Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, a co-author on the paper. As a collaborator in the international Horse Genome Project, Penedo contributed to the genome sequencing effort by supplying DNA from Arabian horses and Quarter horses and by working on a horse linkage map, which identified a linear order of genetic markers along the horse chromosomes. Also collaborating on the project from UC Davis were James Murray, a professor of animal science who has worked with the Horse Genome Project since its inception in 1995, and Stephanie Pedroni, then a UC Davis staff researcher and genetics graduate student. “Having access to multiple genome sequences makes it easier to understand all genomes, including our own,” Murray said. “By looking at the horse genome, we can better understand human biology and human diseases.” In reporting the horse genome sequence, the researchers noted that there are more than 90 hereditary conditions that affect both humans and horses. Because horses share these conditions, which include infertility, inflammatory diseases and muscle disorders, the horse is an important model for improving the understanding of human diseases. The sequencing project revealed that the horse genome is somewhat larger than the dog genome and smaller than the human and cow genomes. In comparing the horse and human chromosomes, the researchers discovered that 17 out of 32 -- or 53 percent of -- horse chromosome pairs are composed of material from a single human chromosome, while only 29 percent of dog chromosomes are composed of material from a single human chromosome. This indicates that fewer chromosome rearrangements separate humans from horses than separate humans from dogs. The researchers were also surprised to find on horse chromosome 11 the existence of an evolutionarily new centromere. Centromeres are key structural features of chromosomes that are necessary for their movement when cells divide, a function that ensures normal distribution of all genetic material to each daughter cell. The functional but evolutionarily immature centromere in the horse may provide a model to study factors responsible for how centromeres function. Penedo noted that the completion of the high-quality horse genome sequence has provided researchers around the world with ready access to specific gene sequences that can be applied to mapping various traits of the horse. She and genetics graduate student Leah Brault are using this information in their research focused on identifying the cause of equine cerebellar abiotrophy, a genetic, neurological condition found almost exclusively in Arabian horses. Studies have shown that a horse can carry the gene for equine cerebellar abiotrophy and not be affected by it. However, if two horses carrying the gene are bred, there is a 25-percent likelihood that the resulting foal will manifest the condition, which causes serious neurological problems including head tremors and poor equilibrium. The sequencing of the horse genome was funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Foundation, the Volkswagen Foundation, the Morris Animal Foundation, and Italy's Programmi di Ricerca Scientifica di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale. About UC Davis For 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 31,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $500 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science -- and advanced degrees from six professional schools -- Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.
Banking Agreement to Help Fund Student Services
Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
UC Davis has entered into a 10-year agreement with U.S. Bank that will provide nearly $3 million to support student services and bring the campus its first bank branch. U.S. Bank is counting on advertising privileges and a new campus identification card -- with a bank logo on the back and optional ATM access -- to help generate new customers. Although the agreement had its beginnings in 2005 with a campus study and competitive process, its implementation now will help sustain student services through more recent state budget cuts. "By forging public-private partnerships," said Fred Wood, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, "the university has embraced a much-needed entrepreneurial spirit, one that balances the unique needs of our community with opportunities to generate new revenue." The agreement will establish a bank branch in the Memorial Union Building on campus next summer; add six U.S. Bank ATMs this spring to the existing seven on campus that belong to five banks and credit unions; and allow for limited advertisements and signage featuring U.S. Bank at certain campus events and facilities. In addition, the university next fall will roll out a new card for employee and student identification. The card will offer optional access to U.S. Bank's debit and ATM services and display a small bank logo on the back. U.S. Bank is guaranteeing the university annual payments of $130,000 to $780,000 a year based on the number of banking accounts activated; the partners estimate an average annual payment of $280,000. The bank will also offer optional financial literacy and credit management seminars for students. Wood said he recognizes that there are concerns about corporate partnerships at a public university. In developing the bank partnership, Student Affairs adopted a set of guiding principles that require "a process that is open, fair and competitive, consultative, and readily available for scrutiny and discussion." Student Affairs and the undergraduate and graduate student associations have reached their own written agreement about the bank partnership. Joe Chatham, president of the Associated Students of UC Davis, said he and former ASUCD president Ivan Carrillo helped work out how the student body will benefit from the partnership revenue. Under the campus agreement, a student-majority committee will advise the vice chancellor about what services should be underwritten by the partnership and how funds should be used. "I am pleased that students are participating in deciding how the partnership will help the programs and services we use," Chatham said. The partnership funding will be shared among broad-based student programs and services that focus on campus relations and community development or provide direct academic support as well as with registered student organizations, student lounges, campus recreation, and intercollegiate athletics, among others. In 2005, the university invited multiple banks to submit a proposal for financial services on the campus. In the end, U.S. Bank was selected. The university has been involved in contract negotiations and campus consultations since then. U.S. Bank operates branches on 21 college campuses in 10 states.
University of Chicago Press: Current Anthropology: Table of Contents
Editorial: The First 50 Years
help@www.journals.uchicago.edu (Mark Aldenderfer) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:06:14 -0000
Current Anthropology, Volume 50, Issue 6, Page 753, December 2009.
Anthropological Currents
Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:03:29 -0000
Current Anthropology, Volume 50, Issue 6, Page 755-756, December 2009.
Current Applications
help@www.journals.uchicago.edu (M. N. Gemein) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:06:21 -0000
Current Anthropology, Volume 50, Issue 6, Page 757, December 2009.
SocioSite - A multi-purpose guide for social scientists. A reference for researching any subject in society. Editor: Dr. Albert Benschop (University of Amsterdam).
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