THE FATHER’S BUSINESS: EXPLORING THE CHALLENGES OF SECOND-GENERATION MINISTRY LEADERS

Today’s pastoral leader must balance more competing priorities than ever before. Pastors are responsible for strategic planning, providing excellent messages, developing a staff or ministry team, overseeing finances, and building ministries to meet the needs of their flocks and communities. Many times, the demands of pastoral leadership, especially in a growing church environment, can be so consuming that the family of the pastor pays the price. Pastors’ children who grow up in such a leadership environment face their own additional pressures and extra challenges. This project explores the question “What are the challenges of growing up as a pastor’s child in a growing church environment in a church in America today; and what are the best practices of pastoral parents in such a setting as seen by their second-generation ministry leadership children?” The research question is answered by a qualitative study involving a focus group of adult children of pastors who are now serving in significant leadership ministry roles. The focus group explores the challenges of growing up in a pastor’s home, the importance of a personal calling in the life of pastor’s children and best practices for pastoral parents

Media Studies Curriculum Map 2013-2014

This map displays degree requirements, courses, faculty information, clubs & organizations, and Library resources associated with media studies across the seven Claremont Colleges (7Cs) for the 2013-14 academic year. It was compiled using public information drawn from Colleges websites, course schedules and catalogs, and the Claremont Colleges Library website. This project was completed as part of an IMLS Sparks! Ignition grant in 2013-14

Fluorine negative ion density measurement in a dual frequency capacitive plasma etch reactor by cavity ring-down spectroscopy

F⁻ negative ions were detected by direct observation of the weak photodetachmentabsorption continuum below 364.5nm by cavity ring-down spectroscopy. The negative ions were generated in a modified industrial dielectricplasmaetch reactor, with 2+27MHz dual frequency capacitive excitation in Ar∕CF₄∕O₂ and Ar∕C₄F₈∕O₂ gas mixtures. The F⁻ signal was superimposed on an unidentified absorption continuum, which was diminished by O₂ addition. The F⁻ densities were in the range of (0.5–3)×10¹¹cm⁻³, and were not significantly different for single (27MHz) or dual (2+27MHz) frequency excitation, not confirming recent modeling predictions.The authors wish to thank Lam Research Corporation for donation of equipment and financial support

Activation of p53-regulated pro-apoptotic signaling pathways in PrP-mediated myopathy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We have reported that doxycycline-induced over-expression of wild type prion protein (PrP) in skeletal muscles of Tg(HQK) mice is sufficient to cause a primary myopathy with no signs of peripheral neuropathy. The preferential accumulation of the truncated PrP C1 fragment was closely correlated with these myopathic changes. In this study we use gene expression profiling to explore the temporal program of molecular changes underlying the PrP-mediated myopathy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We used DNA microarrays, and confirmatory real-time PCR and Western blot analysis to demonstrate deregulation of a large number of genes in the course of the progressive myopathy in the skeletal muscles of doxycycline-treated Tg(HQK) mice. These include the down-regulation of genes coding for the myofibrillar proteins and transcription factor MEF2c, and up-regulation of genes for lysosomal proteins that is concomitant with increased lysosomal activity in the skeletal muscles. Significantly, there was prominent up-regulation of p53 and p53-regulated genes involved in cell cycle arrest and promotion of apoptosis that paralleled the initiation and progression of the muscle pathology.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The data provides the first <it>in vivo </it>evidence that directly links p53 to a wild type PrP-mediated disease. It is evident that several mechanistic features contribute to the myopathy observed in PrP over-expressing mice and that p53-related apoptotic pathways appear to play a major role.</p

Extracellular Matrix Dynamics in Hepatocarcinogenesis: a Comparative Proteomics Study of PDGFC Transgenic and Pten Null Mouse Models

We are reporting qualitative and quantitative changes of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and associated receptor proteomes, occurring during the transition from liver fibrosis and steatohepatitis to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We compared two mouse models relevant to human HCC: PDGFC transgenic (Tg) and Pten null mice, models of disease progression from fibrosis and steatohepatitis to HCC. Using mass spectrometry, we identified in the liver of both models proteins for 26 collagen-encoding genes, providing the first evidence of expression at the protein level for 16 collagens. We also identified post-transcriptional protein variants for six collagens and lysine hydroxylation modifications for 14 collagens. Tumor-associated collagen proteomes were similar in both models with increased expression of collagens type IV, VI, VII, X, XIV, XV, XVI, and XVIII. Splice variants for Col4a2, Col6a2, Col6a3 were co-upregulated while only the short form of Col18a1 increased in the tumors. We also identified tumor specific increases of nidogen 1, decorin, perlecan, and of six laminin subunits. The changes in these non-collagenous ECM proteins were similar in both models with the exception of laminin β3, detected specifically in the Pten null tumors. Pdgfa and Pdgfc mRNA expression was increased in the Pten null liver, a possible mechanism for the similarity in ECM composition observed in the tumors of both models. In contrast and besides the strong up-regulation of integrin α5 protein observed in the liver tumors of both models, the expression of the six other integrins identified was specific to each model, with integrins α2b, α3, α6, and β1 up-regulated in Pten null tumors and integrins α8 and β5 up-regulated in the PDGFC Tg tumors. In conclusion, HCC–associated ECM proteins and ECM–integrin networks, common or specific to HCC subtypes, were identified, providing a unique foundation to using ECM composition for HCC classification, diagnosis, prevention, or treatment

Social exclusion and transportation in Peachtree City, Georgia

This paper will discuss how, in a small American city, Peachtree City (43km south of Atlanta), the flexibility and relative affordability of electric golf carts, as a viablealternative to the automobile, means that the level at which families and individuals are disadvantaged through their lack of access to public/private transport is effectively lowered. Economic access to golf carts, in of itself, would not be sufficient if it were not for the extensive, highly penetrative and 'ringy' spatial structure of the cart path system, a mostly-segregated, 150 kilometre network. A spatial analysis of this dual transportation system is presented and its implications discussed. The conclusion of this paper is that the duality of the effective spatial structure of the cart path networkand the relative low cost and inherent flexibility of the golf carts combine to reduce transportation-linked social exclusion in Peachtree City. This argument is substantiated, in the final section of the paper, through the evidence of a questionnairedistributed to a random sampling of 1,038 property owners and renters in the city

Antibody Targeting Facilitates Effective Intratumoral SiRNA Nanoparticle Delivery to HER2-Overexpressing Cancer Cells

The therapeutic potential of RNA interference (RNAi) has been limited by inefficient delivery of short interfering RNA (siRNA). Tumor-specific recognition can be effectively achieved by antibodies directed against highly expressed cancer cell surface receptors. We investigated the utility of linking an internalizing streptavidinconjugated HER2 antibody to an endosome-disruptive biotinylated polymeric nanocarrier to improve the functional cytoplasmic delivery of siRNA in breast and ovarian cancer cells in vitro and in an intraperitoneal ovarian cancer xenograft model in vivo, yielding an 80% reduction of target mRNA and protein levels with sustained repression for at least 96 hours. RNAi-mediated site specific cleavage of target mRNA was demonstrated using the 5\u27 RLM-RACE (RNA ligase mediated-rapid amplification of cDNA ends) assay. Mice bearing intraperitoneal human ovarian tumor xenografts demonstrated increased tumor accumulation of Cy5.5 fluorescently labeled siRNA and 70% target gene suppression after treatment with HER2 antibody-directed siRNA nanocarriers. Detection of the expected mRNA cleavage product by 5\u27 RLM-RACE assay confirmed that suppression occurs via the expected RNAi pathway. Delivery of siRNA via antibody-directed endosomolytic nanoparticles may be a promising strategy for cancer therapy

Diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value of simultaneous hybrid 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging in cardiac sarcoidosis

Aims: Cardiac death is the leading cause of mortality in patients with sarcoidosis, yet cardiac involvement often remains undetected. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) have been used to diagnose cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) yet never simultaneously in a cohort. This study sought to assess the diagnostic and prognostic utility of simultaneous hybrid cardiac PET/MR. Methods and results: Fifty-one consecutive patients with suspected CS (age 50 ± 13 years, 31 males) underwent simultaneous PET/MR following a high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet and 12-h fast. Blinded image analysis of FDG uptake and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was performed using the American Heart Association (AHA) 16-segment model. The sensitivity and specificity of PET/MR for diagnosing CS was estimated using the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare guidelines. The primary endpoint was a composite of death, aborted sudden cardiac death, sustained ventricular arrhythmia, complete heart block, and hospital admission with decompensated heart failure. The secondary endpoints were a fall in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) >10%, non-sustained ventricular tachycardia and other cardiac-related hospital admission. The prevalence of CS was 65% (n = 33). The sensitivity of PET and CMR alone for detecting CS was 0.85 and 0.82, respectively. Hybrid PET/MR was superior for detecting CS with sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of 0.94, 0.44, 0.76, and 0.80, respectively. There was poor inter-modality agreement for the location of cardiac abnormalities (k = 0.02). Over the median follow-up of 2.2 years, there were 18 (35%) adverse events. Cardiac RV PET abnormalities and presence of LGE were independent predictors of adverse events. Abnormalities found on both PET and magnetic resonance imaging was the strongest predictor of major adverse cardiac events. Conclusion: Simultaneous PET/MR is an accurate method for diagnosing CS. FDG-PET and CMR combined offers complementary information on disease pathophysiology. The presence of LGE and FDG uptake on PET/MR identifies patients at higher risk of adverse events. PET and CMR should therefore be considered in the assessment of disease presence, stage, and prognosis in CS