Identification of a Carcinoembryonic Antigen Gene Family in the Rat

The existence of a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-like gene family in rat has been demonstrated through isolation and sequencing of the N- terminal domain exons of presumably five discrete genes (rnCGM1-5). This finding will allow for the first time the study of functional and clinical aspects of the tumor marker CEA and related antigens in an animal model. Sequence comparison with the corresponding regions of members of the human CEA gene family revealed a relatively low similarity at the amino acid level, which indicates rapid divergence of the CEA gene family during evolution and explains the lack of cross- reactivity of rat CEA-like antigens with antibodies directed against human CEA. The N-terminal domains of the rat CEA-like proteins show structural similarity to immunoglobulin variable domains, including the presence of hypervariable regions, which points to a possible receptor function of the CEA family members. Although so far only one of the five rat CEA-like genes could be shown to be transcriptionally active, multiple mRNA species derived from other members of the rat CEA-like gene family have been found to be differentially expressed in rat placenta and liver

Reproductive capacity of the red cusk-eel genypterus chilensis (Guichenot, 1848) in captivity

Indexación: Scopus.This work was supported by the FONDEF Project D06I 1024 “Development of technologies for the production of red cusk-eel fingerlings (Genypterus chilensis)”.Genypterus chilensis is a marine fish of high gastronomic demand, whose capture has declined in recent years due to overfishing. In the development of the farming technology, high mortalities were obtained during egg incubation. The objective of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of fecundity and eggs viability of G. chilensis in captivity. The spawns of G. chilensis were analyzed over a period of 2 years and 3 months. The total fecundity was estimated by counting the masses and eggs produced monthly throughout the period. The results confirm that G. chilensis is a partial spawner, since a female may more than two masses of eggs per day, due to a large amount of mass spawned per season (621 average). The total production of masses of the Farming Centre during the period was 2,290; of these, only 7% (166) corresponding to 15,330,517 eggs were incubated. Because of its high fecundity, G. chilensis produces numerous masses of eggs, of which only a small percentage reaches incubation, as well as it occurs in other marine fish. © 2018, Escuela de Ciencias del Mar. All rights reserved.https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-560X201800020048

Nanostructures based on monoolein or diolein and amphiphilic gadolinium complexes as MRI contrast agents

Highly ordered two or three dimensional mesophases in aqueous solution could be usefully obtained by using monoolein (MO) or diolein (DO) monomers. Nanostructures (also indicated as nanoparticles, NPs) of MO or DO containing different amounts (1%, 5%, 10% and 20%) of the synthetic amphiphilic gadolinium complex (C18)2DTPA(Gd) have been prepared and characterized for their relaxometric and structural behaviors. The nanostructure is found in the 110–200 nm range for all investigated systems, while the presence of the gadolinium containing monomer produces a partial loss of the cubic symmetry, as shown by Cryo-TEM images of NPs doped with 10% w/w of (C18)2DTPA(Gd). Gadolinium containing nanostructures display high relaxivity values (in the 10–15 mM1 s1 range at 25 and 20 MHz, with a further increase at 37°C for DO based NPs), and interesting relaxometric properties for their possible use as MRI contrast agents. NPs containing 10% w/w of (C18)2DTPA(Gd) (MO3-NPs and DO3-NPs) have been also derivatized by introducing 3% wt of (C18)2–Peg3000–FA to obtain targeted aggregates (MO3-NP–FA, DO3-NP–FA). A preferential uptake efficiency of DO3-NP–FA in IGROV-1 cells with respect to DO-NPs without folic acid is observed, specially when cells are incubated with low concentrations of nanostructures or at short incubation times, thus indicating its potential use as a target-selective delivery system for MRI contrast agents on tumor cells overexpressing the folate receptor

A Minimum Age for Californias Juvenile Legal System: Lessons on Collaborative Research to Drive Legislative Change.

THE PROBLEM: Most U.S. states lack a minimum age of juvenile legal jurisdiction, which leaves young children vulnerable to a harsh, punitive system that causes lifelong adverse health and social outcomes. However, partnership between academics, advocates, and policymakers can catalyze legislative change to set minimum ages. PURPOSE OF ARTICLE: We, an academic pediatrician and social worker, describe our stakeholder-policymaker-academic partnered research that led to the passage of California Senate Bill 439, which excludes children under age 12 from eligibility for juvenile legal prosecution. To stimulate future efforts, we also describe how the initial partnership led to a national coalition through which we are partnering with stakeholders across the United States to influence minimum age laws nationwide. KEY POINTS: Stakeholder-policymaker-academic partners can contribute synergistically in the research-to-policymaking process. CONCLUSIONS: Through a stakeholder-policymaker-academic partnership, we were able to influence the passage of a minimum age law for the juvenile legal system in California. Lessons learned in this collaboration can be applied by researchers across disciplines who wish to influence policy

Entwicklung einer Anströmeinheit für einen Wirbelschichtofen zur Beschichtung von HTR-Brennstoffkernen

Operating today's fluidized bed reactors for HTR-fuel coating requires considerable time for maintenance. This is due to deposits of pyrocarbon which preferably build up around the inlet of the coating gas into the fluidized bed. With the gas injector described in this report these pyrocarbon deposits are reduced to aminimum. Using similarity rules the required fluid mechanic conditions for this iinjector system have been studied in model tests. The model testing results are verified by high temperature coating test

Mindfulness-based interventions for young offenders: a scoping review

Youth offending is a problem worldwide. Young people in the criminal justice system have frequently experienced adverse childhood circumstances, mental health problems, difficulties regulating emotions and poor quality of life. Mindfulness-based interventions can help people manage problems resulting from these experiences, but their usefulness for youth offending populations is not clear. This review evaluated existing evidence for mindfulness-based interventions among such populations. To be included, each study used an intervention with at least one of the three core components of mindfulness-based stress reduction (breath awareness, body awareness, mindful movement) that was delivered to young people in prison or community rehabilitation programs. No restrictions were placed on methods used. Thirteen studies were included: three randomized controlled trials, one controlled trial, three pre-post study designs, three mixed-methods approaches and three qualitative studies. Pooled numbers (n = 842) comprised 99% males aged between 14 and 23. Interventions varied so it was not possible to identify an optimal approach in terms of content, dose or intensity. Studies found some improvement in various measures of mental health, self-regulation, problematic behaviour, substance use, quality of life and criminal propensity. In those studies measuring mindfulness, changes did not reach statistical significance. Qualitative studies reported participants feeling less stressed, better able to concentrate, manage emotions and behaviour, improved social skills and that the interventions were acceptable. Generally low study quality limits the generalizability of these findings. Greater clarity on intervention components and robust mixed-methods evaluation would improve clarity of reporting and better guide future youth offending prevention programs

IA, Rimbaud & Neruda

La imagen la descubrí navegando por ahí, seguramente creada por Inteligencia artificial (IA), de Arthur Rimbaud. La fotografía iba con la siguiente leyenda falsa pero hermosa de haber sido tomada en días posteriores a la escritura de “Temporada en el infierno” por un fotógrafo callejero de nombre Ernesto, en días en que nadie se hacía eco de su “Temporada en el infierno”, escandalizados por los recientes hechos en Bruselas, donde Paul Verlaine seguía preso. Asunto que me hizo recordar de golpe, el poema, más bien oda, que Pablo Neruda le escribió para la conmemoración del centenario de Rimbaud en su Nuevas Odas Elementales (1956). En sus casas, como todos saben, hay retratos de sus maestros literarios, entre ellas varias de este muchacho, que fue clave en su manera de entender y amar el oficio literario desde su más temprana juventud. Hoy que celebramos 50 años de su muerte, 50 años del golpe militar, es interesante retomar esta línea de trabajo de las tantas que el poeta más grande del amor del siglo XX trazó en su obra poética, porque esta cruza su biografía, amor a la poesía y ética estético-política y da cuenta del lector atento y profundo que era el poeta..

Erweiterter Medikationsplan für Patienten mit oraler Tumortherapie

Durch die zunehmende Bedeutung oral applizierbarer Tumortherapeutika und der damit einhergehenden Verlagerung der Applikation in das häusliche Umfeld sind die Patient*innen selbst zunehmend für den Erfolg der Therapie mitverantwortlich. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, ein Instrument zu entwickeln, das die Patient*innen beim Umgang mit der verordneten Tumortherapie unterstützt. Dazu wurde der 2016 in Deutschland etablierte Bundeseinheitlichen Medikationsplan (BMP) um spezifische Hinweise für die oralen Tumortherapeutika (onkologisches Addendum) erweitert. Der so entwickelte Onko-BMP wurde anschließend auf seine Akzeptanz bei Patient*innen und Leistungserbringenden untersucht. Das onkologische Addendum wurde auf Basis einer Bedarfsanalyse für 72 orale Tumortherapeutika entwickelt und enthält Textbausteine zur Art der Einnahme, zum Vorgehen bei vergessener Einnahme und Erbrechen, zu Wechselwirkungen mit Nahrungsmitteln und frei verkäuflichen Arzneimitteln, zu Symptomen, bei denen ein Arzt/eine Ärztin aufgesucht werden muss sowie zu sehr häufigen und häufigen Nebenwirkungen und sonstigen speziellen Hinweisen (z. B. besondere Empfindlichkeit gegenüber Sonnenstrahlung). Der Onko-BMP wurde anschließend mit zehn Patient*innen in einer Pilotphase und weiteren 60 Patient*innen in der Hauptphase des Projekts erprobt. Dabei zeigte er sowohl bei den Leistungserbringenden als auch bei den Patient*innen eine hohe Akzeptanz. Es wurde jedoch deutlich, dass der BMP noch nicht flächendeckend in Deutschland implementiert ist, da verschiedene Hindernisse wie die unzureichende technische Umsetzung und noch nicht festgelegte Zuständigkeiten zwischen den beteiligten Berufsgruppen dessen Anwendung erschweren. Die meisten Aktualisierungen am Onko-BMP wurden durch die Patient*innen selbst vorgenommen und bestanden vor allem in der Ergänzung von noch fehlenden Einträgen. Beim abschließenden Abgleich der Onko-BMP mit der tatsächlich eingenommenen Medikation der Patient*innen zeigten sich vor allem Diskrepanzen bei der eingenommenen Bedarfsmedikation. Neben den Onko-BMP wurde eine neue Methode zur Messung der Adhärenz („Time4Med“) evaluiert, durch die ein elektronisches Einnahme-Zeit-Diagramm generiert werden kann. Die Akzeptanz der Geräte durch die Patient*innen entsprach nicht den Erwartungen, was vor allem daran lag, dass die Profile nicht durch die Patient*innen selbst eingesehen werden konnten und viele der Geräte im Verlauf einen Defekt aufwiesen. Dennoch konnten die Adhärenzprofile für 39 Patient*innen der Hauptphase ausgewertet werden und zeigten eine mediane Gesamtadhärenz von 87,3 % (IQA 22,3; Spannweite 32,1-108,0). Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit zeigen, dass sich der entwickelte Onko-BMP grundsätzlich zur Unterstützung der Patient*innen in der Handhabung von oralen Tumortherapeutika eignet und das Potenzial hat, die interprofessionelle Kommunikation über die onkologische Medikation zu verbessern, sofern die Rahmenbedingungen der Implementierung verbessert werden. Die Time4Med-Geräte eignen sich grundsätzlich zur Messung der Adhärenz und könnten zukünftig vor allem zur Kontrolle der Therapietreue durch die Patient*innen selbst beitragen