On the Radio: Using Radio in ESL Classes

Recent studies have brought about an increased awareness of the need for better listening comprehension skills among ESL students, and as a result there is heightened interest in the use of live language in the classroom. Radio is a highly accessible and versatile source of such, providing the student with a limitless supply of current language. This paper focuses on the use of radio as a live language tool. Included in the paper are a rationale for using radio; a description of the author\u27s work with commercials, news and weather reports; specific lesson plans; guidelines for using radio as a teaching mode; and samples of student work

Mary Ann Barnes Williams collection of papers, 1931-1971

Correspondence and reminiscences, relating to General George Custer, the Battle of the Little Big Horn, forts Buford, Mandan, and Abraham Lincoln, Sakakawea, frontier life, and North Dakota history; and newspaper articles concerning Williams

The reflection of contemporary religious thought in the essays of the 18th century

The 18th century, that golden age of English prose, witnessed the attainment of perfection by two of most popular modern forms of literature, the Novel and the Essay. However ancient the thing itself might be , the name "essay" seems first to have been employed by Michel de Montaigne, whose charming " livre de bonne foi ” graced the literature of France in the second half of the sixteenth century. Both he , and his English disciple Bacon, used the word in its natural sense of an attempt as opposed to an accomplishment. In them and in all their successors, it was a term expressing modesty and a sense of the incompleteness, irregularity, mere tentativeness, characteristic of the work appearing under that title. Bacon obviously did not attach much importance to his Essays. He wrote them in English instead pf in the "universal language", and considered them as nothing greater than mere note-book jottings, "set down reflectively and significantly"; as "grains of salt, which give appetite rather than satiety"

Using Gene Expression Signatures to Identify Novel Treatment Strategies in Gulf War Illness

Background Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a complex multi-symptom disorder that affects up to one in three veterans of this 1991 conflict and for which no effective treatment has been found. Discovering novel treatment strategies for such a complex chronic illness is extremely expensive, carries a high probability of failure and a lengthy cycle time. Repurposing Food and Drug Administration approved drugs offers a cost-effective solution with a significantly abbreviated timeline. Methods Here, we explore drug re-purposing opportunities in GWI by combining systems biology and bioinformatics techniques with pharmacogenomic information to find overlapping elements in gene expression linking GWI to successfully treated diseases. Gene modules were defined based on cellular function and their activation estimated from the differential expression of each module’s constituent genes. These gene modules were then cross-referenced with drug atlas and pharmacogenomic databases to identify agents currently used successfully for treatment in other diseases. To explore the clinical use of these drugs in illnesses similar to GWI we compared gene expression patterns in modules that were significantly expressed in GWI with expression patterns in those same modules in other illnesses. Results We found 19 functional modules with significantly altered gene expression patterns in GWI. Within these modules, 45 genes were documented drug targets. Illnesses with highly correlated gene expression patterns overlapping considerably with GWI were found in 18 of the disease conditions studied. Brain, muscular and autoimmune disorders composed the bulk of these. Conclusion Of the associated drugs, immunosuppressants currently used in treating rheumatoid arthritis, and hormone based therapies were identified as the best available candidates for treating GWI symptoms

Global Health Partnerships During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives and Insights from International Partners

Global health partnerships (GHPs) have encountered many challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. New perspectives and insights are needed to guide GHPs when navigating current and future collaborations. This study aimed to understand perspectives and insights of international partners regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their GHPs with institutions in the United States. We performed a cross-sectional qualitative study conducted through virtual semi-structured interviews performed between June 12, 2020 and July 22, 2020. We queried academic institutions based in the United States to refer individuals from their corresponding international GHP organizations. We invited these individuals to participate in virtual interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed. We analyzed data qualitatively to identify themes. Eighty-four United States partners provided e-mail addresses for international partners. Ten individuals from these GHPs completed the interview. Participants reported overall positive experiences with their United States-based partners during the pandemic. The following themes emerged: imbalanced decision-making; worry about partnership continuity; opportunity to optimize communication within partnerships; interest in incorporating technology to facilitate engagement; and a desire for increased bilateral exchanges. Several challenges appeared to exist before COVID-19 and were highlighted by the pandemic. Most respondents were optimistic regarding the future of their GHPs. However, concerns were expressed regarding the implications of fewer in-person international experiences with United States trainees and the desire for stronger communication. Although our results do not represent the perspectives and insights of all GHPs, they provide considerations for the future. We urge institutions in the United States to re-examine and strive for equitable relationships with their international partners

Plasma cytokines in women with chronic fatigue syndrome

© 2009 Fletcher et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

A third generation vaccine for human visceral leishmaniasis and post kala azar dermal leishmaniasis : First-in-human trial of ChAd63-KH

BACKGROUND: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL or kala azar) is the most serious form of human leishmaniasis, responsible for over 20,000 deaths annually, and post kala azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a stigmatizing skin condition that often occurs in patients after successful treatment for VL. Lack of effective or appropriately targeted cell mediated immunity, including CD8+ T cell responses, underlies the progression of VL and progression to PKDL, and can limit the therapeutic efficacy of anti-leishmanial drugs. Hence, in addition to the need for prophylactic vaccines against leishmaniasis, the development of therapeutic vaccines for use alone or in combined immuno-chemotherapy has been identified as an unmet clinical need. Here, we report the first clinical trial of a third-generation leishmaniasis vaccine, developed intentionally to induce Leishmania-specific CD8+ T cells. METHODS: We conducted a first-in-human dose escalation Phase I trial in 20 healthy volunteers to assess the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of a prime-only adenoviral vaccine for human VL and PKDL. ChAd63-KH is a replication defective simian adenovirus expressing a novel synthetic gene (KH) encoding two Leishmania proteins KMP-11 and HASPB. Uniquely, the latter was engineered to reflect repeat domain polymorphisms and arrangements identified from clinical isolates. We monitored innate immune responses by whole blood RNA-Seq and antigen specific CD8+ T cell responses by IFNγ ELISPOT and intracellular flow cytometry. FINDINGS: ChAd63-KH was safe at intramuscular doses of 1x1010 and 7.5x1010 vp. Whole blood transcriptomic profiling indicated that ChAd63-KH induced innate immune responses characterized by an interferon signature and the presence of activated dendritic cells. Broad and quantitatively robust CD8+ T cell responses were induced by vaccination in 100% (20/20) of vaccinated subjects. CONCLUSION: The results of this study support the further development of ChAd63-KH as a novel third generation vaccine for VL and PKDL. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This clinical trial (LEISH1) was registered at EudraCT (2012-005596-14) and ISRCTN (07766359)

Genome-Wide Association Identifies Nine Common Variants Associated With Fasting Proinsulin Levels and Provides New Insights Into the Pathophysiology of Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE: Proinsulin is a precursor of mature insulin and C-peptide. Higher circulating proinsulin levels are associated with impaired β-cell function, raised glucose levels, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Studies of the insulin processing pathway could provide new insights about T2D pathophysiology. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We have conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association tests of ∼2.5 million genotyped or imputed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and fasting proinsulin levels in 10,701 nondiabetic adults of European ancestry, with follow-up of 23 loci in up to 16,378 individuals, using additive genetic models adjusted for age, sex, fasting insulin, and study-specific covariates. RESULTS: Nine SNPs at eight loci were associated with proinsulin levels (P < 5 × 10−8). Two loci (LARP6 and SGSM2) have not been previously related to metabolic traits, one (MADD) has been associated with fasting glucose, one (PCSK1) has been implicated in obesity, and four (TCF7L2, SLC30A8, VPS13C/C2CD4A/B, and ARAP1, formerly CENTD2) increase T2D risk. The proinsulin-raising allele of ARAP1 was associated with a lower fasting glucose (P = 1.7 × 10−4), improved β-cell function (P = 1.1 × 10−5), and lower risk of T2D (odds ratio 0.88; P = 7.8 × 10−6). Notably, PCSK1 encodes the protein prohormone convertase 1/3, the first enzyme in the insulin processing pathway. A genotype score composed of the nine proinsulin-raising alleles was not associated with coronary disease in two large case-control datasets. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified nine genetic variants associated with fasting proinsulin. Our findings illuminate the biology underlying glucose homeostasis and T2D development in humans and argue against a direct role of proinsulin in coronary artery disease pathogenesis

Clinical outcomes and response to treatment of patients receiving topical treatments for pyoderma gangrenosum: a prospective cohort study

Background: pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an uncommon dermatosis with a limited evidence base for treatment. Objective: to estimate the effectiveness of topical therapies in the treatment of PG. Methods: prospective cohort study of UK secondary care patients with a clinical diagnosis of PG suitable for topical treatment (recruited July 2009 to June 2012). Participants received topical therapy following normal clinical practice (mainly Class I-III topical corticosteroids, tacrolimus 0.03% or 0.1%). Primary outcome: speed of healing at 6 weeks. Secondary outcomes: proportion healed by 6 months; time to healing; global assessment; inflammation; pain; quality-of-life; treatment failure and recurrence. Results: Sixty-six patients (22 to 85 years) were enrolled. Clobetasol propionate 0.05% was the most commonly prescribed therapy. Overall, 28/66 (43.8%) of ulcers healed by 6 months. Median time-to-healing was 145 days (95% CI: 96 days, ∞). Initial ulcer size was a significant predictor of time-to-healing (hazard ratio 0.94 (0.88;80 1.00); p = 0.043). Four patients (15%) had a recurrence. Limitations: No randomised comparator Conclusion: Topical therapy is potentially an effective first-line treatment for PG that avoids possible side effects associated with systemic therapy. It remains unclear whether more severe disease will respond adequately to topical therapy alone