Microaggression: My Story as a Higher Education Professional

The purpose of the Special Issue, Microaggression: My Story as a Higher Education Professional, is to share the personal microaggression experiences of higher education professionals (i.e. faculty, administrators, and staff). Microaggressions are negative, unintentional or intentional, statements and/or actions towards a member or members of a historically underrepresented group (Sue, 2010). The statement or action may be unintentional but nonetheless causes a negative emotional reaction by the recipient of the statement/action

The gynecologic oncologist in academic departments : Report of survey

Now that the subspecialty of gynecologic oncology is well established within the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology, it seems timely to evaluate the pros and cons, the strengths and weaknesses of such a program as it interrelates with other programs in an academic department. A survey is presented which reflects the beliefs of both members and candidate members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists on such issues as gynecologic oncologists as chairmen of departments; teaching demands; time commitments to patient care and research in an academic institution; and surgical privileges for gastro-intestinal and urologic procedures in various hospitals. Financial and budgetary items are also discussed. Perspectives from three different points of view are presented as a discussion of the report of the survey.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24676/1/0000095.pd

Reversal of Fragile X Phenotypes by Manipulation of AβPP/Aβ Levels in Fmr1KO Mice

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability and the leading known genetic cause of autism. Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), which is absent or expressed at substantially reduced levels in FXS, binds to and controls the postsynaptic translation of amyloid β-protein precursor (AβPP) mRNA. Cleavage of AβPP can produce β-amyloid (Aβ), a 39–43 amino acid peptide mis-expressed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Down syndrome (DS). Aβ is over-expressed in the brain of Fmr1KO mice, suggesting a pathogenic role in FXS. To determine if genetic reduction of AβPP/Aβ rescues characteristic FXS phenotypes, we assessed audiogenic seizures (AGS), anxiety, the ratio of mature versus immature dendritic spines and metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-mediated long-term depression (LTD) in Fmr1KO mice after removal of one App allele. All of these phenotypes were partially or completely reverted to normal. Plasma Aβ1–42 was significantly reduced in full-mutation FXS males compared to age-matched controls while cortical and hippocampal levels were somewhat increased, suggesting that Aβ is sequestered in the brain. Evolving therapies directed at reducing Aβ in AD may be applicable to FXS and Aβ may serve as a plasma-based biomarker to facilitate disease diagnosis or assess therapeutic efficacy

PATH-38. ROSETTE-FORMING GLIONEURONAL TUMOR IS DEFINED BY FGFR1 ACTIVATING ALTERATIONS WITH FREQUENT ACCOMPANYING PI3K AND MAPK PATHWAY MUTATIONS

Abstract BACKGROUND Rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor (RGNT) is an uncommon CNS tumor originally described in the fourth ventricle characterized by a low-grade glial neoplasm admixed with a rosette-forming neurocytic component. METHODS We reviewed clinicopathologic features of 42 patients with RGNT. Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed, and genome-wide methylation profiling is underway. RESULTS The 20 male and 22 female patients had a mean age of 25 years (range 3–47) at time of diagnosis. Tumors were located within or adjacent to the lateral ventricle (n=16), fourth ventricle (15), third ventricle (9), and spinal cord (2). All 31 tumors assessed to date contained FGFR1 activating alterations, either in-frame gene fusion, kinase domain tandem duplication, or hotspot missense mutation in the kinase domain (p.N546 or p.K656). While 7 of these 31 tumors harbored FGFR1 alterations as the solitary pathogenic event, 24 contained additional pathogenic alterations within PI3-kinase or MAP kinase pathway genes: 5 with additional PIK3CA and NF1 mutations, 4 with PIK3CA mutation, 3 with PIK3R1 mutation (one of which also contained focal RAF1 amplification), 5 with PTPN11 mutation (one with additional PIK3R1 mutation), and 2 with NF1 deletion. The other 5 cases demonstrated anaplastic features including hypercellularity and increased mitotic activity. Among these anaplastic cases, 3 harbored inactivating ATRX mutations and two harbored CDKN2A homozygous deletion, in addition to the FGFR1 alterations plus other PI3-kinase and MAP kinase gene mutations seen in those RGNT without anaplasia. CONCLUSION Independent of ventricular location, RGNT is defined by FGFR1 activating mutations or rearrangements, which are frequently accompanied by mutations involving PIK3CA, PIK3R1, PTPN11, NF1, and KRAS. Whereas pilocytic astrocytoma and ganglioglioma are characterized by solitary activating MAP kinase pathway alterations (e.g. BRAF fusion or mutation), RGNT are genetically more complex with dual PI3K-Akt-mTOR and Ras-Raf-MAPK pathway activation. Rare anaplastic examples may show additional ATRX and/or CDKN2A inactivation

Strategic hypocrisy: the British imperial scripting of Tibet's geopolitical identity

The protests in and around Tibet in 2008 show that Tibet's status within China remains unsettled. The West is not an outsider to the Tibet question, which is defined primarily in terms of the debate over the status of Tibet vis-à-vis China. Tibet's modern geopolitical identity has been scripted by British imperialism. The changing dynamics of British imperial interests in India affected the emergence of Tibet as a (non)modern geopolitical entity. The most significant aspect of the British imperialist policy practiced in the first half of the twentieth century was the formula of “Chinese suzerainty/Tibetan autonomy.” This strategic hypocrisy, while nurturing an ambiguity in Tibet's status, culminated in the victory of a Western idea of sovereignty. It was China, not Tibet, that found the sovereignty talk most useful. The paper emphasizes the world-constructing role of contesting representations and challenges the divide between the political and the cultural, the imperial and the imaginative

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy