Effectiveness Compared: ASL Interpretation vs. Transliteration

Two kinds of interpretation are currently used to make the spoken language accessible to deaf students in regular college programs; namely, ASL Interpretation and Transliteration. To test the effectiveness of each kind, 43 students from several colleges of the City University of New York were divided into two groups by their preference for one or the other kind, and the groups divided according to level of education. Matched groups then received a narrative presentation and a lecture presentation, interpreted either one way or the other by experienced certified interpreters, and then answered questions on the material so received. The results showed that subjects achieved significantly higher scores when the material was interpreted into ASL than when it was transliterated (i.e. kept in English order by using manual signs for individual words and concepts). This was true even of those students who expressed preference for the latter kind of signing but received the material in ASL interpretation. Other factors addressed in. this study— education level, question type (literal or analytic), communicative competence (judged by qualified interviewers), and background knowledge (about the subject of the lecture)—did not affect scores as much as the kind of interpretation used and the kind of information presented (narrative, lecture) The implication is clear: Interpretation into ASL works better for all deaf students in mainstreamed college classes

Utility of patient-derived lymphoblastoid cell lines as an ex vivo capecitabine sensitivity prediction model for breast cancer patients.

Capecitabine is commonly used in treating breast cancer; however, therapeutic response varies among patients and there is no clinically validated model to predict individual outcomes. Here, we investigated whether drug sensitivity quantified in ex vivo patients' blood-derived cell lines can predict response to capecitabine in vivo. Lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) were established from a cohort of metastatic breast cancer patients (n = 53) who were prospectively monitored during treatment with single agent capecitabine at 2000 mg/m2/day. LCLs were treated with increasing concentrations of 5'-DFUR, a major capecitabine metabolite, to assess patients' ex vivo sensitivity to this drug. Subsequently, ex vivo phenotype was compared to observed patient disease response and drug induced-toxicities. We acquired an independent cohort of breast cancer cell lines and LCLs derived from the same donors from ATCC, compared their sensitivity to 5'-DFUR. As seen in the patient population, we observed large inter-individual variability in response to 5'-DFUR treatment in patient-derived LCLs. Patients whose LCLs were more sensitive to 5'-DFUR had a significantly longer median progression free survival (9-month vs 6-month, log rank p-value = 0.017). In addition, this significant positive correlation for 5'-DFUR sensitivity was replicated in an independent cohort of 8 breast cancer cell lines and LCLs derived from the same donor. Our data suggests that at least a portion of the individual sensitivity to capecitabine is shared between germline tissue and tumor tissue. It also supports the utility of patient-derived LCLs as a predictive model for capecitabine treatment efficacy in breast cancer patients

Department of Family Services: Adoption program evaluation

Persons contemplating adoption in Clark County face many legal boundaries and lengthy delays. Since adoption is a creature of Clark County, the answers usually can be found in state statutes, agency regulations, and court opinions. Federal statutory and constitutional laws also play a huge part in such areas as adoption subsidies, adoption of children with special needs, and training of all adoption workers. While the overall adoption program is similar in all states, the fine points frequently differ. This research outlines the legal foundation of adoption, describing the adoption legal process, and the workings of the Department of Family Services (DPS). A flowchart has been created to illustrate the inner-workings of the department, and all possible courses of action that prospective adoptive parents may undertake. In addition, it discusses a range of recommendations, which we deem a necessity to repair the system. Interviews with adoptive parents, as well as with current and former agency staff members document a range of frustrating issues and barriers that prevent efficiency. These include difficulty in accessing the DPS, unpleasant initial contacts and ongoing frustration with the agency or aspects of the process. This study is the first analysis of the adoption program in Clark County based on information collected from thirty files that were provided by a DPS supervisor. It provides the County with something it never had before - a picture of the internal procedures of the adoption department

Gender, Power, and the Denial of Intimacy in Chinese Studies and Beyond

This article identifies and critically examines four recurring concerns in writings on Chinese gender and sexuality: (1) Emphasis on extreme cases of women\u27s suffering to produce a more dramatic effect. (2) Focus only one gender\u27s perspective and disregard of the role of social class. (3) De-emphasis on men\u27s place within the subjective domain and overlooking how emotional bonds unite couples. (4) Depiction of the erotic as simply the manifestation of prevailing sexual ideology, which encourages viewing male/female interaction as an exercise in power and dominance, and discourages interpretation of the erotic as an aesthetic experience