Memorial: John J. McNeill (1949-2016)

John McNeill, better known as Jack, died on January 18, 2016, after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. Jack began working at Pace Law School (now known as Elisabeth Haub School of Law) in September 2000, where he initially served as head of reference services. Two years later, he was promoted to associate director, the position from which he retired in December 2015. He is survived by his sister and brother, two nephews, a niece, and five great-nieces and -nephews

On-Orbit Validation of a Framework for Spacecraft-Initiated Communication Service Requests with NASA's SCaN Testbed

We design, analyze, and experimentally validate a framework for demand-based allocation of high-performance space communication service in which the user spacecraft itself initiates a request for service. Leveraging machine-to-machine communications, the automated process has potential to improve the responsiveness and efficiency of space network operations. We propose an augmented ground station architecture in which a hemispherical-pattern antenna allows for reception of service requests sent from any user spacecraft within view. A suite of ground-based automation software acts upon these direct-to-Earth requests and allocates access to high-performance service through a ground station or relay satellite in response to immediate user demand. A software-defined radio transceiver, optimized for reception of weak signals from the helical antenna, is presented. Design and testing of signal processing equipment and a software framework to handle service requests is discussed. Preliminary results from on-orbit demonstrations with a testbed onboard the International Space Station are presented to verify feasibility of the concept

Heteronormativity and its effect on school belonging: a narrative inquiry of recent gender and sexuality diverse graduates

Gender and sexuality diverse (GSD) high school students in the United States often feel alienated from their classmates due to heteronormative policies, curriculum, and climate, causing them to have higher rates of victimization, suicide and suicide ideation, failure to graduation, absenteeism, and drug use than their classmates. These students often cannot find representation in the curriculum or among the adults who work with them and often feel unsupported by their classmates and teachers. This study sought to determine, through the narratives of five recent GSD graduates, how heteronormativity affects GSD students and what supports can be put in place or strengthened to support GSD students at one central Pennsylvania high school. Through a participatory/advocacy approach, this study gathered the experiences of four GSD graduates of a high school in central Pennsylvania through narrative interviews and focus groups. Through these interviews, the researcher developed an analysis of the school culture from the perspective of GSD students by collecting, identifying, and analyzing heteronormative school policies and interviewing administration to gauge the understanding of GSD student issues and the need for further training and professional development. Through coding, themes of safety, belonging, and self-esteem were identified and analyzed. Recommendations are given to help the school district, building administration, faculty, and Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) create a greater sense of school belonging for GSD and all students. Student narratives illustrate the struggles that GSD students face, as well as their triumphs in finding a place to belong and gaining a sense of identity and confidence as students and young adults. Participants are further empowered in their ability to effect change in their alma mater. Keywords: social sciences, education, central Pennsylvania, high school, LGBT students, GSD students, queer studies, narrative, Gay-Straight Alliances, professional development, bullying, victimization, school safety, school belongingEd.D., Educational Leadership and Management -- Drexel University, 201

The Nexus Between Environmental Stress, Resource Governance and Demographic Change in Norton Sound, Alaska

The decision to migrate is a complex and multi-faceted one. In Northern Alaska, environmental changes are occurring at an unprecedented rate, resulting in forms of stress that generate a hard decision for residents of dozens of Alaska Native communities: whether to leave home, or remain in place and cope with the changes that come. In my thesis, I explore the connections between environmental change and demographic change in Norton Sound, Alaska. Specifically, I consider how fisheries disruptions impact rural commercial fishers, using a mixed methods approach. Employing the Attachment, Alternatives, Buffering framework to analyze my data, I identify many socio-economic and environmental factors that influence how individual resource users experience and respond to sources of environmental stress. My analysis provides a better understanding of how demographic change – or the lack thereof – in rural, environmentally-threatened communities is highly influenced by resource governance and management structures, such as the Western Alaska Community Development Quota program. By better understanding these interconnections, my research demonstrates how resource governance structures can promote adaptability in rural, predominantly-Indigenous communities. My results indicate that individuals did not leave imperilled locations as a result of resource disruption, though some households are leaving now. I also found that certain resource governance structures such as the CDQ program, are influencing adaptive capacity within at-risk communities and in some cases, may actually be working produce more just and locally-appropriate adaptations to environmental stressors

Influence of pH on the Cytotoxic Activity of Inositol Hexakisphosphate (IP6) in Prostate Cancer

Objectives: In the present study, we investigated whether the pH of IP6 could influence its anti-tumoral activity in vitro. Methods: PC-3 cells were exposed to IP6 at pH 5, pH 7, and pH 12 and we evaluated the metabolic activity (WST-1 assay), cell proliferation (cell count), cell cycle distribution (FACS), and mitochondrial depolarization (JC-1 staining) in vitro. Results: Our results demonstrated that IP6 at pH 5 and pH 12 were more potent at lowering the metabolic activity of PC-3 cells than IP6 at pH 7. Treatment with IP6 at pH 12 also caused the greatest inhibition in cellular proliferation and accumulation of PC-3 cells in sub-G1. Finally, IP6 at pH 12 lead to a reduction in phospho-AKT and phospho-PDK1 and upregulated phospho-ERK. Conclusion: Together, our data strongly suggest that the pH of IP6 effectively modulates its anti-tumoral activity and should be reported in future studies

Ebp1 expression in benign and malignant prostate

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>ErbB3-binding protein 1 (Ebp1) is a member of the <it>PA2G4 </it>family of proliferation-regulated proteins that is expressed in multiple malignant and non-malignant cells. ErbB3 and other members of the EGFR family have been implicated in cancer progression, it however remains unknown whether Ebp1 participate in prostate cancer progression <it>in vivo</it>. Therefore, the present study examines Ebp1 expression in cancerous and non-cancerous prostates tissues. Ebp1 expression was also correlated to known Ebp1 regulated proteins (Androgen receptor (AR), Cyclin D1 & ErbB3) and the proliferation marker Ki67. Furthermore we evaluated whether Ebp1 expression correlated with biochemical recurrence (BCR) following radical prostatectomy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The expression of Ebp1, AR, Cyclin D1, ErbB3 and Ki67 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry using three separate tissue micro-arrays containing normal prostate tissues, non-cancerous tissue adjacent to the primary tumor, hormone-sensitive and hormone-refractory cancerous tissues. Multivariate COX regression analysis was performed with four clinical parameters in order to correlate Ebp1 expression with PCa progression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The expression of Ebp1 significantly increased with the progression from normal to hormone sensitive and to hormone refractory PCa. Furthermore, we observed strong correlation between Ebp1 expression and the nuclear expression of AR, Cyclin D1 and ErbB3 in both normal adjacent and cancer tissues. The expression of AR, Cyclin D1 and ErbB3 in normal adjacent tissues correlated with PSA relapse, whereas Ebp1 on its own did not significantly predict PSA relapse. Finally, in a multivariate analysis with a base clinical model (Gleason, Pre-op PSA, surgical margins and P-stage) we identified the multi-marker combination of Ebp1+/Cyclin D1- as an independent predictor of PSA relapse with a hazard ratio of 4.79.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although not related to disease recurrence, this is the first <it>in vivo </it>study to report that Ebp1 expression correlates with PCa progression.</p

CRH-LaDéHiS – Laboratoire de démographie et d’histoire sociale

Pascal Cristofoli, ingénieur d’étudesArnaud Bringé, ingénieur de recherche à l’INEDBénédicte Garnier, ingénieure d’études à l’INED Atelier « Analyse des données relationnelles » Lieu d’enseignement, de discussion et de collaboration entre étudiants, ingénieurs et chercheurs associés, l’atelier vise à interroger les différentes opérations pratiques et théoriques impliquées par la mise en œuvre d’analyses relationnelles. Depuis plusieurs années maintenant, le séminaire est organisé en trois jou..

CRH-LaDéHiS – Laboratoire de démographie et d’histoire sociale

Pascal Cristofoli, ingénieur d’étudesArnaud Bringé, ingénieur de recherche à l’INEDBénédicte Garnier, ingénieure d’études à l’INED Atelier « Analyse des données relationnelles » Lieu d’enseignement, de discussion et de collaboration entre étudiants, ingénieurs et chercheurs associés, l’atelier vise à interroger les différentes opérations pratiques et théoriques impliquées par la mise en œuvre d’analyses relationnelles. Depuis plusieurs années maintenant, le séminaire est organisé en trois jou..

Androgen-Regulated Expression of Arginase 1, Arginase 2 and Interleukin-8 in Human Prostate Cancer

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in North American men. Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) accentuates the infiltration of immune cells within the prostate. However, the immunosuppressive pathways regulated by androgens in PCa are not well characterized. Arginase 2 (ARG2) expression by PCa cells leads to a reduced activation of tumor-specific T cells. Our hypothesis was that androgens could regulate the expression of ARG2 by PCa cells. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this report, we demonstrate that both ARG1 and ARG2 are expressed by hormone-sensitive (HS) and hormone-refractory (HR) PCa cell lines, with the LNCaP cells having the highest arginase activity. In prostate tissue samples, ARG2 was more expressed in normal and non-malignant prostatic tissues compared to tumor tissues. Following androgen stimulation of LNCaP cells with 10 nM R1881, both ARG1 and ARG2 were overexpressed. The regulation of arginase expression following androgen stimulation was dependent on the androgen receptor (AR), as a siRNA treatment targeting the AR inhibited both ARG1 and ARG2 overexpression. This observation was correlated in vivo in patients by immunohistochemistry. Patients treated by ADT prior to surgery had lower ARG2 expression in both non-malignant and malignant tissues. Furthermore, ARG1 and ARG2 were enzymatically active and their decreased expression by siRNA resulted in reduced overall arginase activity and l-arginine metabolism. The decreased ARG1 and ARG2 expression also translated with diminished LNCaP cells cell growth and increased PBMC activation following exposure to LNCaP cells conditioned media. Finally, we found that interleukin-8 (IL-8) was also upregulated following androgen stimulation and that it directly increased the expression of ARG1 and ARG2 in the absence of androgens. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data provides the first detailed in vitro and in vivo account of an androgen-regulated immunosuppressive pathway in human PCa through the expression of ARG1, ARG2 and IL-8