Changes in Cytokines of the Bone Microenvironment during Breast Cancer Metastasis

It is commonly accepted that cancer cells interact with host cells to create a microenvironment favoring malignant colonization. The complex bone microenvironment produces an ever changing array of cytokines and growth factors. In this study, we examined levels of MCP-1, IL-6, KC, MIP-2, VEGF, MIG, and eotaxin in femurs of athymic nude mice inoculated via intracardiac injection with MDA-MB-231GFP human metastatic breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231BRMS1GFP, a metastasis suppressed variant, or PBS. Animals were euthanized (day 3, 11, 19, 27 after injection) to examine femoral cytokine levels at various stages of cancer cell colonization. The epiphysis contained significantly more cytokines than the diaphysis except for MIG which was similar throughout the bone. Variation among femurs was evident within all groups. By day 27, MCP-1, MIG, VEGF and eotaxin levels were significantly greater in femurs of cancer cell-inoculated mice. These pro-osteoclastic and angiogenic cytokines may manipulate the bone microenvironment to enhance cancer cell colonization

Reference evapotranspiration from coarse-scale and dynamically downscaled data in complex terrain: Sensitivity to interpolation and resolution

The main objective of this study was to investigate whether dynamically downscaled high resolution (4-km) climate data from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model provide physically meaningful additional information for reference evapotranspiration (E) calculation compared to the recently published GridET framework that uses interpolation from coarser-scale simulations run at 32-km resolution. The analysis focuses on complex terrain of Utah in the western United States for years 1985–2010, and comparisons were made statewide with supplemental analyses specifically for regions with irrigated agriculture. E was calculated using the standardized equation and procedures proposed by the American Society of Civil Engineers from hourly data, and climate inputs from WRF and GridET were debiased relative to the same set of observations. For annual mean values, E from WRF (EW) and E from GridET (EG) both agreed well with E derived from observations (r2 = 0.95, bias \u3c 2 mm). Domain-wide, EW and EG were well correlated spatially (r2 = 0.89), however local differences ΔE=EW-EG were as large as +439 mm year−1 (+26%) in some locations, and ΔE averaged +36 mm year−1. After linearly removing the effects of contrasts in solar radiation and wind speed, which are characteristically less reliable under downscaling in complex terrain, approximately half the residual variance was accounted for by contrasts in temperature and humidity between GridET and WRF. These contrasts stemmed from GridET interpolating using an assumed lapse rate of Γ = 6.5K km−1, whereas WRF produced a thermodynamically-driven lapse rate closer to 5K km−1 as observed in mountainous terrain. The primary conclusions are that observed lapse rates in complex terrain differ markedly from the commonly assumed Γ = 6.5K km−1, these lapse rates can be realistically resolved via dynamical downscaling, and use of constant Γ produces differences in E of order as large as 102 mm year−1

Many-body interactions among adsorbed atoms and molecules within carbon nanotubes and in free space

This paper assesses the importance of three-body triple dipole interactions for quasi-one dimensional phases of He, Ne, H_2, Ar, Kr and Xe confined within interstitial channels or on the external surfaces of nanotube bundles. We find the substrate-mediated contribution to be substantial: for interstitial H_2 the well depth of the effective pair potential is reduced to approximately one half of its value in free space. We carry out ab initio calculations on linear and equilateral configurations of H_2 trimer and find that overlap interactions do not greatly change the DDD interaction in the linear configuration when the spacing is greater than about 3 A. However, the DDD interaction alone is clearly insufficient for the triangular configurations studied.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

On the Galilean invariance of some dispersive wave equations

Surface water waves in ideal fluids have been typically modeled by asymptotic approximations of the full Euler equations. Some of these simplified models lose relevant properties of the full water wave problem. One of them is the Galilean symmetry, which is not present in important models such as the BBM equation and the Peregrine (Classical Boussinesq) system. In this paper we propose a mechanism to modify the above mentioned classical models and derive new, Galilean invariant models. We present some properties of the new equations, with special emphasis on the computation and interaction of their solitary-wave solutions. The comparison with full Euler solutions shows the relevance of the preservation of Galilean invariance for the description of water waves.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables, 71 references. Other author papers can be downloaded at http://www.denys-dutykh.com

Of cattle, sand flies and men : a systematic review of risk factor analyses for South Asian visceral leishmaniasis and implications for elimination

Background: Studies performed over the past decade have identified fairly consistent epidemiological patterns of risk factors for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Indian subcontinent. Methods and Principal Findings: To inform the current regional VL elimination effort and identify key gaps in knowledge, we performed a systematic review of the literature, with a special emphasis on data regarding the role of cattle because primary risk factor studies have yielded apparently contradictory results. Because humans form the sole infection reservoir, clustering of kala-azar cases is a prominent epidemiological feature, both at the household level and on a larger scale. Subclinical infection also tends to show clustering around kala-azar cases. Within villages, areas become saturated over a period of several years; kala-azar incidence then decreases while neighboring areas see increases. More recently, post kalaazar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) cases have followed kala-azar peaks. Mud walls, palpable dampness in houses, and peridomestic vegetation may increase infection risk through enhanced density and prolonged survival of the sand fly vector. Bed net use, sleeping on a cot and indoor residual spraying are generally associated with decreased risk. Poor micronutrient status increases the risk of progression to kala-azar. The presence of cattle is associated with increased risk in some studies and decreased risk in others, reflecting the complexity of the effect of bovines on sand fly abundance, aggregation, feeding behavior and leishmanial infection rates. Poverty is an overarching theme, interacting with individual risk factors on multiple levels. Conclusions: Carefully designed demonstration projects, taking into account the complex web of interconnected risk factors, are needed to provide direct proof of principle for elimination and to identify the most effective maintenance activities to prevent a rapid resurgence when interventions are scaled back. More effective, short-course treatment regimens for PKDL are urgently needed to enable the elimination initiative to succeed

Relationships of Physical Performance Tests to Military-relevant Tasks in Women

Purpose: This investigation sought to determine the most predictive measures of performance on a repetitive box lifting task (RBLT) and load bearing task (LBT) among 123 women (aged 23±4 years, height 165±7 cm, body mass 64±10 kg). Methods: To determine the relationship of various predictors to performance on the RBLT and LBT, multiple regression analysis was conducted on body mass, height, leg cross-sectional area, upper and lower body muscular strength, lower body explosive power, upper and lower body local muscular endurance, and aerobic capacity. Results: The mean±SD (range) number of repetitions for the RBLT was 86±23 (20-159). The mean±SD (range) time to complete the LBT was 2,054±340 seconds (1,307-3,447). The following equations were generated: RBLT (number of repetitions)=57.4 + 0.2(peak jump power) + 0.4(number of pushups in 2 minutes) + 0.15(number of repetitions during the squat endurance test) + 1.39(one repetition maximal strength boxlift (kg)) – 0.04(2-mile run time (2MR) in seconds), R=0.81; standard error of the estimate (SEE)=14; LBT (in seconds)=1,831 – 4.28(number of repetitions during the squat endurance test) + 0.95(2MR in seconds) – 13.4(body mass), R=0.73; SEE=232. Conclusions: We found that the 2MR and squat endurance test were signifi cant predictive factors for performance on both load carriage tasks. These data also imply that women’s performance in combat-related tasks can be improved with training that targets muscular strength, power, and local muscular endurance in addition to aerobic capacity

Understanding preventive behaviors among mid-Western African-American men: a pilot qualitative study of prostate screening

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jomh.2011.03.00

A sonic theory unsuitable for human consumption

The past decade has seen the proliferation of scholarly work on audio culture by philosophers, sociologists, ethnographers, musicologists, anthropologists, and others. There is now a range of histories and ethnographies on listening and on the soundscape, and a proliferation of epistemological, methodological, and cultural investigations of the sonic. At the same time, as John Kieffer notes, sound art is fast becoming “the new kid on the cultural block” (2010). Different writers have engineered different conceptual approaches for studying the sonic. These voices are symptomatic of a body of work that has developed as a way of reacting against the primacy of Cartesian reason, looking for ways of escaping the Western tendency to measure, calculate and represent everything. They offer strategies for defending and resurrecting the nullified senses, like hearing, which must no longer surrender to the tyranny of ocularcentrism. However, the belated recognition of sound as a valid academic object of study and art discipline, often risks fetishizing the sonic and repeating the same ideological separations between sound and image, body and mind. Moreover, refreshing as they may be, they are too often confined within a human-centred position and interested in predominantly addressing the phenomenal experience of sound. This article wishes to discuss alternative schemas daring to go beyond the audiophile anthropocentric angle. It mainly draws on Kodwo Eshun’s unconventional method of ‘sonic fiction’ (1998), in order to argue for the value of developing a sound theory that brings together speculative philosophy, science fiction, and experimental audio art. Ultimately, it attempts to explore how such ‘a sonic intervention into thought’ (Goodman, 2010) can drag us away from the sociopolitical and historical organisation of sound and toward the vicinity of a more ‘unreal state’, where the boundaries between fiction and theory are provisional and utterly permeable

Exploring men's and women's experiences of depression and engagement with health professionals: more similarities than differences? A qualitative interview study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is argued that the ways in which women express emotional distress mean that they are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, while men's relative lack of articulacy means their depression is hidden. This may have consequences for communicating with health professionals. The purpose of this analysis was to explore how men and women with depression articulate their emotional distress, and examine whether there are gender differences or similarities in the strategies that respondents found useful when engaging with health professionals.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In-depth qualitative interviews with 22 women and 16 men in the UK who identified themselves as having had depression, recruited through general practitioners, psychiatrists and support groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found gender similarities and gender differences in our sample. Both men and women found it difficult to recognise and articulate mental health problems and this had consequences for their ability to communicate with health professionals. Key gender differences noted were that men tended to value skills which helped them to talk while women valued listening skills in health professionals, and that men emphasised the importance of getting practical results from talking therapies in their narratives, as opposed to other forms of therapy which they conceptualised as 'just talking'. We also found diversity among women and among men; some respondents valued a close personal relationship with health professionals, while others felt that this personal relationship was a barrier to communication and preferred 'talking to a stranger'.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings suggest that there is not a straightforward relationship between gender and engagement with health professionals for people with depression. Health professionals need to be sensitive to patients who have difficulties in expressing emotional distress and critical of gender stereotypes which suggest that women invariably find it easy to express emotional distress and men invariably find it difficult. In addition it is important to recognise that, for a minority of patients, a personal relationship with health professionals can act as a barrier to the disclosure of emotional distress.</p