Sequence analysis: its past, present, and future

This article marks the occasion of Social Science Research’s 50th anniversary by reflecting on the progress of sequence analysis (SA) since its introduction into the social sciences four decades ago, with focuses on the developments of SA thus far in the social sciences and on its potential future directions. The application of SA in the social sciences, especially in life course research, has mushroomed in the last decade and a half. Using a life course analogy, we examined the birth of SA in the social sciences and its childhood (the first wave), its adolescence and young adulthood (the second wave), and its future mature adulthood in the paper. The paper provides a summary of (1) the important SA research and the historical contexts in which SA was developed by Andrew Abbott, (2) a thorough review of the many methodological developments in visualization, complexity measures, dissimilarity measures, group analysis of dissimilarities, cluster analysis of dissimilarities, multidomain/multichannel SA, dyadic/polyadic SA, Markov chain SA, sequence life course analysis, sequence network analysis, SA in other social science research, and software for SA, and (3) reflections on some future directions of SA including how SA can benefit and inform theory-making in the social sciences, the methods currently being developed, and some remaining challenges facing SA for which we do not yet have any solutions. It is our hope that the reader will take up the challenges and help us improve and grow SA into maturity

Sequence analysis: Its past, present, and future

This article marks the occasion of Social Science Research's 50th anniversary by reflecting on the progress of sequence analysis (SA) since its introduction into the social sciences four decades ago, with focuses on the developments of SA thus far in the social sciences and on its potential future directions. The application of SA in the social sciences, especially in life course research, has mushroomed in the last decade and a half. Using a life course analogy, we examined the birth of SA in the social sciences and its childhood (the first wave), its adolescence and young adulthood (the second wave), and its future mature adulthood in the paper. The paper provides a summary of (1) the important SA research and the historical contexts in which SA was developed by Andrew Abbott, (2) a thorough review of the many methodological developments in visualization, complexity measures, dissimilarity measures, group analysis of dissimilarities, cluster analysis of dissimilarities, multidomain/multichannel SA, dyadic/polyadic SA, Markov chain SA, sequence life course analysis, sequence network analysis, SA in other social science research, and software for SA, and (3) reflections on some future directions of SA including how SA can benefit and inform theory-making in the social sciences, the methods currently being developed, and some remaining challenges facing SA for which we do not yet have any solutions. It is our hope that the reader will take up the challenges and help us improve and grow SA into maturity.</p

<i>ABCB1</i> (MDR1) induction defines a common resistance mechanism in paclitaxel- and olaparib-resistant ovarian cancer cells

BACKGROUND: Clinical response to chemotherapy for ovarian cancer is frequently compromised by the development of drug-resistant disease. The underlying molecular mechanisms and implications for prescription of routinely prescribed chemotherapy drugs are poorly understood. METHODS: We created novel A2780-derived ovarian cancer cell lines resistant to paclitaxel and olaparib following continuous incremental drug selection. MTT assays were used to assess chemosensitivity to paclitaxel and olaparib in drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cells±the ABCB1 inhibitors verapamil and elacridar and cross-resistance to cisplatin, carboplatin, doxorubicin, rucaparib, veliparib and AZD2461. ABCB1 expression was assessed by qRT-PCR, copy number, western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis and ABCB1 activity assessed by the Vybrant and P-glycoprotein-Glo assays. RESULTS: Paclitaxel-resistant cells were cross-resistant to olaparib, doxorubicin and rucaparib but not to veliparib or AZD2461. Resistance correlated with increased ABCB1 expression and was reversible following treatment with the ABCB1 inhibitors verapamil and elacridar. Active efflux of paclitaxel, olaparib, doxorubicin and rucaparib was confirmed in drug-resistant cells and in ABCB1-expressing bacterial membranes. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a common ABCB1-mediated mechanism of paclitaxel and olaparib resistance in ovarian cancer cells. Optimal choice of PARP inhibitor may therefore limit the progression of drug-resistant disease, while routine prescription of first-line paclitaxel may significantly limit subsequent chemotherapy options in ovarian cancer patients

Consumer ethnicity three decades after: a TCR agenda

Research into consumer ethnicity is a vital discipline that has substantially evolved in the past three decades. This conceptual article critically reviews its immense literature and examines the extent to which it has provided extensive contributions not only for the understanding of ethnicity in the marketplace but also for personal/collective well-being. We identify two gaps accounting for scant transformative contributions. First, today social transformations and conceptual sophistications require a revised vocabulary to provide adequate interpretive lenses. Second, extant work has mostly addressed the subjective level of ethnic identity projects but left untended the meso/macro forces affecting ethnicity (de)construction and personal/collective well-being. Our contribution stems from filling both gaps and providing a theory of ethnicity (de)construction that includes migrants as well as non-migrants

Modeling Vaccination Strategies to Control White-Nose Syndrome in Little Brown Bat Colonies

Since 2006, the North American bat population has been in rapid decline due to a disease, known as White-nose Syndrome (WNS), caused by an invasive fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans). The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is the most affected bat by this emerging disease in North America. We consider how best to prevent local extinctions of this species using mathematical models. A new vaccine against WNS has been under development since 2017 and thus, we analyze the effects of implementing vaccination as a control measure. We create a Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Vaccinated hybrid ordinary differential equation and difference equation model informed by the phenology of little brown bats. We analyze various vaccination strategies to determine how to maximize bat survival with regard to realistic restrictions. Next, we perform a sensitivity analysis to determine the robustness of our results. Finally, we consider other possible control measures in union with vaccination to determine the optimal control strategy. We find vaccination to be the most promising control measure considered thus far

Modeling Vaccination Strategies to Control White-Nose Syndrome in Little Brown Bat Colonies

Since 2006, the North American bat population has been in rapid decline due to a disease, known as White-nose Syndrome (WNS), caused by an invasive fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans). The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is the most affected bat by this emerging disease in North America. We consider how best to prevent local extinctions of this species using mathematical models. A new vaccine against WNS has been under development since 2017 and thus, we analyze the effects of implementing vaccination as a control measure. We create a Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Vaccinated hybrid ordinary differential equation and difference equation model informed by the phenology of little brown bats. We analyze various vaccination strategies to determine how to maximize bat survival with regard to realistic restrictions. Next, we perform a sensitivity analysis to determine the robustness of our results. Finally, we consider other possible control measures in union with vaccination to determine the optimal control strategy. We find vaccination to be the most promising control measure considered thus far

Modeling vaccination strategies to control white-nose syndrome in little brown bat colonies

Since 2006, the North American bat population has been in rapid decline due to white-nose syndrome (WNS), which is caused by an invasive fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans). The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is the species most affected by this emerging disease. We consider how best to prevent local extinctions of this species using mathematical models. In 2017, development began on a new vaccine for WNS; we analyze the effects of implementing vaccination as a control measure. We create a Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Vaccinated hybrid ordinary differential equation and difference equation model informed by the phenology of little brown bats. We compare the effectiveness of annual, biennial, and one-time vaccination programs for multiple durations of immunity length. We also determine the optimal time to vaccinate, if vaccinating only once, as a function of average duration of immunity. Next, we perform a sensitivity analysis to determine the robustness of our results. Finally, we consider other possible control measures together with vaccination to determine the optimal control strategy. We find that if the vaccine offers lifelong immunity, then it will be the most effective control measure considered thus far