Migration and Community Formation: Narratives of Three Generations of Women Living in A Greek Cypriot Diaspora Community.

Migration is a global phenomenon and the varied social and individual nature of relocation, has led to cross-disciplinary perspectives of a process, both physical and emotional which forms a significant part of a person’s life. Historically, migration has been largely studied from a male perspective and has not specifically reflected the experiences of women. There has been a move towards recognising the need to study the experiences of female migrants. Cypriot migrants’ experiences, like those of women, have also been relatively neglected, with studies on migrant groups focusing upon more visible, larger groups for example, migrants from the West Indies, Africa and South Asia. Cypriots, along with Italians, Spanish and Portuguese have been overlooked ‘invisible migrants’. This ethnographic study focuses upon the Greek Cypriot community living in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, a unique; small; rather isolated community. Most of its’ members originate in the same village in Cyprus and were initially involved in the service industry. The ethnography involved narrative interviews; a focus group; a virtual ethnography; participant observations; and the collection of documentation and photographic evidence. Drawing upon the theoretical concept of social capital, this thesis contributes to the understanding of the formation, transformation and erosion of this migrant community. It tells the story of how the community first began, how different organisation and institutions came to be and how these are eroding through the fluid processes of ‘bonding’ and ‘bridging’ capital. Findings from the research highlight women’s stories of migration and how they account for the process of migration; how they experience, maintain and challenge community boundaries which relate to feelings of inclusion and exclusion. The traditional role and expectations of women emerged from this research through the women’s stories of control, and this serves to fill a gap in knowledge around the experiences of female migrants living within this unique community

A RIAM/lamellipodin-talin-integrin complex forms the tip of sticky fingers that guide cell migration.

The leading edge of migrating cells contains rapidly translocating activated integrins associated with growing actin filaments that form 'sticky fingers' to sense extracellular matrix and guide cell migration. Here we utilized indirect bimolecular fluorescence complementation to visualize a molecular complex containing a Mig-10/RIAM/lamellipodin (MRL) protein (Rap1-GTP-interacting adaptor molecule (RIAM) or lamellipodin), talin and activated integrins in living cells. This complex localizes at the tips of growing actin filaments in lamellipodial and filopodial protrusions, thus corresponding to the tips of the 'sticky fingers.' Formation of the complex requires talin to form a bridge between the MRL protein and the integrins. Moreover, disruption of the MRL protein-integrin-talin (MIT) complex markedly impairs cell protrusion. These data reveal the molecular basis of the formation of 'sticky fingers' at the leading edge of migrating cells and show that an MIT complex drives these protrusions

Barriers to the Advancement of Women of Color Faculty in STEM: The Need for Promoting Equity Using an Intersectional Framework

Purpose–The purpose of this paper is to highlight critical issues facing women of color (WOC) faculty and to synthesize the research literature in order to offer recommendations for action to address inequities using an intersectionality framework.Design/methodology/approach–The authors conducted a qualitative meta-analysis. Relevant articles were obtained through a search of the EBSCO and Google Scholar databases entering in combinations of specific keywords. In order to be included in this review, the manuscripts had to be published between the years 2001 and 2017; in a peer-reviewed journal; and available through the university library system.Findings–The majority of manuscripts in the meta-analysis revealed high teaching and service loads, ambiguous standards for tenure, and lack of culturally responsive mentorship are challenges experienced by WOC faculty. Moreover, there is limited research that examines STEM WOC faculty experiences at minority-serving institutions and in leadership roles. Further research is needed to examine the long-term efficacy of mentoring strategies and institutional transformation efforts for WOC. These numerous challenges cumulatively undermine institutions\u27 abilities to implement institutional transformation that impacts WOC in higher education. Originality/value–The recommendations provided are based on the results of the meta-analysis and are intended to promote systemic change for STEM WOC faculty in institutions through intersectional and transformational approaches. Keywords - Teaching, Tenure, STEM, Service, Mentorship, Women of color faculty Paper type - Literature revie

A Profile of Families in the Emergency Family Homeless Shelter System in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Compared to the wealth of research on single homeless adults, there is little known about homeless families. This paper describes a study of 75 homeless families in Ottawa, Ontario, conducted in 2012-2013. This sample of homeless families includes a large number of newcomer families, including immigrants and refugees. Participants are poor and unemployed, but many are educated, and there is little evidence of alcohol or substance abuse. Nonetheless, participants report poor mental health and high levels of family stress. Whereas newcomer families tended to be larger and include more two-parent families than did Canadian-born families, there were no differences in the physical and mental health of the participants. These findings add to our growing understanding of homeless families and point to notable similarities and differences in homeless families in this city in Canada, and in the United States

Registration and outcome reporting bias in randomised controlled trials of distal radius fracture treatment: a systematic review

Background: The aim was to systematically evaluate the completeness of trial registration and the extent of outcome-reporting bias in modern randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of distal radius fracture treatment. This is the first study to investigate this in the setting of a single, common, well-researched orthopaedic injury and across all journal publications. Methods: Utilizing four databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Embase and PEDro), this systematic review identified all RCTs of distal radius fracture treatment published from January 2010 to December 2015. We independently determined the registration status of these trials in a public trial registry and compared characteristics of registered and non-registered trials. We assessed quality and consistency of primary outcome measure (POM) reporting between registration and final published reports. Results: Ninety studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of the 90 RCTs, only 31% (28/90) were registered; 3% (3/90) were "appropriately registered" i.e. registered prospectively, identifying and fully describing the POM. Registered trials had larger sample sizes, were more likely to be multi-centre, to report funding sources and be published in higher impact factor journals. Of the 16 (18%, 16/90) registered RCTs which named a POM, seven (7/16, 44%) stated a different or additional POMs in the final publication, whereas 13 (13/16, 81%) had discrepancies in the time-point reported for the POM. Conclusion: Prospective trial registration in a public registry has been deemed a condition for publication by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) since 2005, in an attempt to address publication and outcome-reporting bias. This study demonstrates poor registration rates and inconsistencies in the reporting of primary outcomes measures of recent trials of distal radius fracture treatment, one of the most common and most investigated injuries in orthopaedic practice. Clinical relevance: This problem is important to highlight and address with the cooperation of researchers, reviewers, journal editors and the scientific community as a whole. Increasing the transparency and consistency of reporting will help drive up the quality of distal radius fracture research, which increasingly impacts on patient care through evidence-based guidelines

Weekday and weekend patterns of objectively measured sitting, standing, and stepping in a sample of office-based workers: the active buildings study

Background: There is a growing body of research into the total amount and patterns of sitting, standing and stepping in office-based workers and few studies using objectively measured sitting and standing. Understanding these patterns may identify daily times opportune for interventions to displace sitting with activity. Methods: A sample of office-based workers (n = 164) residing in England were fitted with thigh-worn ActivPal accelerometers and devices were worn 24 hours a day for five consecutive days, always including Saturday and Sunday and during bathing and sleeping. Daily amounts and patterns of time spent sitting, standing, stepping and step counts and frequency of sit/stand transitions, recorded by the ActivPal accelerometer, were reported. Results: Total sitting/standing time was similar on weekdays (10.6/4.1 hrs) and weekends (10.6/4.3 hrs). Total step count was also similar over weekdays (9682 ± 3872) and weekends (9518 ± 4615). The highest physical activity levels during weekdays were accrued at 0700 to 0900, 1200 to 1400, and 1700 to 1900; and during the weekend at 1000 to 1700. During the weekday the greatest amount of sitting was accrued at 0900 to 1200, 1400 to 1700, and 2000 to 2300, and on the weekend between 1800 and 2300. During the weekday the greatest amount of standing was accrued between 0700 and 1000 and 1700 and 2100, and on the weekend between 1000 and 1800. On the weekday the highest number of sit/stand transitions occurred between 0800 to 0900 and remained consistently high until 1800. On the weekend, the highest number occurred between 1000 to 1400 and 1900 to 2000. Conclusion: Office based-workers demonstrate high levels of sitting during both the working week and weekend. Interventions that target the working day and the evenings (weekday and weekend) to displace sitting with activity may offer most promise for reducing population levels of sedentary behaviour and increasing physical activity levels, in office-based workers residing in England

Playing the changes: rediscovering the lexicon of electronic organ performance practice from 1943 to 2015

This thesis explores the historical development of the electronic organ via the survey, analysis and comparison of stylistic practices heard in historic recordings. This project establishes that the instrument went through several significant stages of development since its introduction in 1935, which have hitherto been undocumented in scholarly work. As this thesis will show, the changing design of the instrument can be aligned with an evident expansion in the stylistic lexicon of musical arrangement and performance. This aural-based micro-genre of electronic music is rediscovered via a multi-faceted survey model that triangulates the results of transcribed recordings, reconstructive performance on period instruments and practitioner survey. This addresses the typical challenge of historical instrument study: that of defining the degree to which technology shapes musical performance. Chapter One places the instrument within a cultural context via a review of literature. The reason for the instrument’s lack of appeal to musicologists is explained as the result of an image problem: the instrument is often regarded as a dated appliance of home entertainment and exists within a method of practice which aligns more closely to that of jazz than Western art music. By removing stereotypes and establishing the displaced cultural values that the instrument embodies, it is possible to see the true value of the research process. Chapter Two begins to present the findings of the survey by examining some of the earliest recordings made on the Hammond organ. The chapter illustrates how certain design flaws in an instrument that was originally Christopher Stanbury Introduction 6 intended as a low-cost replacement for a pipe organ led to an entirely different trajectory than the inventor’s initial ecclesiastical application. Chapter Three details further updates to the original Hammond design whilst correcting and expanding upon previous definitions of features that are defined in literature. The Lowrey organ is also introduced, along with an illustration of why the unique features and tonal qualities of the instrument resulted in a different approach to musical arrangement and performance. Chapter Four documents the introduction of emulative voicing, whereby instruments of the nineteen seventies and early eighties were designed to imitate the sound of other acoustic instruments. The resultant change in arrangement and performance style is illustrated and compared to the results of previous chapters. Chapter Five details instruments made by the Yamaha Corporation that feature digital synthesis technologies. The vast distance between these instruments and previous models, both in terms of technological profile and resultant performance practice, is illustrated and discussed. Chapter Six provides a summary of the survey findings and reexamines the evident changes in the instrument and performance practice. The nature of the relationship between organist and instrument is discussed, along with a return to some of the literature reviewed in Chapter One. Discrepancies between the conclusions of some authors and those of this thesis are outlined and discussed

Overcoming evasive resistance from vascular endothelial growth factor a inhibition in sarcomas by genetic or pharmacologic targeting of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α

Increased levels of hypoxia and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in human sarcomas correlate with tumor progression and radiation resistance. Prolonged antiangiogenic therapy of tumors not only delays tumor growth but may also increase hypoxia and HIF-1α activity. In our recent clinical trial, treatment with the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) antibody, bevacizumab, followed by a combination of bevacizumab and radiation led to near complete necrosis in nearly half of sarcomas. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis of microarrays from pretreatment biopsies found that the Gene Ontology category “Response to hypoxia” was upregulated in poor responders and that the hierarchical clustering based on 140 hypoxia-responsive genes reliably separated poor responders from good responders. The most commonly used chemotherapeutic drug for sarcomas, doxorubicin (Dox), was recently found to block HIF-1α binding to DNA at low metronomic doses. In four sarcoma cell lines, HIF-1α shRNA or Dox at low concentrations blocked HIF-1α induction of VEGF-A by 84–97% and carbonic anhydrase 9 by 83–93%. HT1080 sarcoma xenografts had increased hypoxia and/or HIF-1α activity with increasing tumor size and with anti-VEGF receptor antibody (DC101) treatment. Combining DC101 with HIF-1α shRNA or metronomic Dox had a synergistic effect in suppressing growth of HT1080 xenografts, at least in part via induction of tumor endothelial cell apoptosis. In conclusion, sarcomas respond to increased hypoxia by expressing HIF-1α target genes that may promote resistance to antiangiogenic and other therapies. HIF-1α inhibition blocks this evasive resistance and augments destruction of the tumor vasculature. What’s new? Despite their initial promise, anti-angiogenic therapies have been a disappointment in the clinic. One reason is that solid tumors often become resistant to these drugs. Tumors that respond poorly to this type of therapy have increased activation of the hypoxia-induced transcription factor HIF-1α which can enhance tumor survival and progression. In this study, the authors report that this evasive resistance can be overcome by adding low-dose doxorubicin or shRNA to inhibit HIF-1α activity. They are thus developing a clinical trial combining the angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab with metronomic doxorubicin in sarcoma patients