Ukrainas un Gruzijas informācijas centri

The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 gene (HER2) is amplified in approximately 15%–20% of all breast cancers. This results in overexpression of the HER2 protein, which is associated with worse clinical outcomes in breast cancer patients. Several studies have shown that trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody that interferes with the HER2/neu receptor, can improve overall survival in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), combined with different methods for in situ hybridization, is currently used for routine assessment of HER2 status. The aim of the present study was to determine whether real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can serve as a supplementary method for evaluation of HER2 status in primary breast cancer. For this purpose, 145 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary breast cancer samples were tested by real-time PCR amplification of HER2, using amyloid precursor protein as a reference. The results were compared with HER2 status determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and IHC. The specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility of real-time PCR were evaluated, and a comparison of formalin-fixed and fresh-frozen samples was performed. This showed concordance of 93% between real-time PCR and FISH, and 86% between real-time PCR and IHC. Therefore, we suggest that real-time PCR can be a useful supplementary method for assessment of HER2 status

Phthalate Diesters and Their Metabolites in Human Breast Milk, Blood or Serum, and Urine as Biomarkers of Exposure in Vulnerable Populations

BACKGROUND: Phthalates may pose a risk for perinatal developmental effects. An important question relates to the choice of suitable biological matrices for assessing exposure during this period. OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to measure the concentrations of phthalate diesters or their metabolites in breast milk, blood or serum, and urine and to evaluate their suitability for assessing perinatal exposure to phthalates. METHODS: In 2001, 2-3 weeks after delivery, 42 Swedish primipara provided breast milk, blood, and urine samples at home. Special care was taken to minimize contamination with phthalates (e.g., use of a special breast milk pump, heat treatment of glassware and needles, addition of phosphoric acid). RESULTS: Phthalate diesters and metabolites in milk and blood or serum, if detected, were present at concentrations close to the limit of detection. By contrast, most phthalate metabolites were detectable in urine at concentrations comparable to those from the general population in the United States and in Germany. No correlations existed between urine concentrations and those found in milk or blood/serum for single phthalate metabolites. Our data are at odds with a previous study documenting frequent detection and comparatively high concentrations of phthalate metabolites in Finnish and Danish mothers' milk. CONCLUSIONS: Concentrations of phthalate metabolites in urine are more informative than those in milk or serum. Furthermore, collection of milk or blood may be associated with discomfort and potential technical problems such as contamination (unless oxidative metabolites are measured). Although urine is a suitable matrix for health-related phthalate monitoring, urinary concentrations in nursing mothers cannot be used to estimate exposure to phthalates through milk ingestion by breast-fed infants

From bookboxes to Internet detective agency : measures to encourage reading among children and youth in sparsely populated regions in the county of Jämtland during 1997-1999

The purpose of this master thesis is to examine how librarians/cultural workers act in projects in order to stimulate and promote reading among children and youth in sparsely populated regions in the county of Jämtland during a period of three years, and if/how these projects differ. The examination is based upon the progress of these projects in four of eight communities. Four librarians and two cultural workers have been interviewed in order to get their view of the proceedings of the projects. The results indicate that the four communities all made up plans for three years but in different ways. They mainly collaborated with the school but also with the board of children's health and the preparatory school. Some of the projects were initiated by the county library, directing to all or to some of the communities. One community addressed one of their projects to the Sami school. The second community's projects especially presumed participation and activity from the teachers and pupils to succeed. The third community used their book mobile for the project "Bok and Film", and the fourth community based one big project, "Åre Agentbyrå", upon the use of the Internet. In the master thesis I came to the conclusion that book mobiles and the Internet are effective tools to reduce difficulties with the long distances in the region. In my investigation there are mainly two communities that reduce long distance between people and libraries in these ways.Uppsatsnivå:

Slöjdprocessen : Processarbetets bidragande faktorer till elvers inlärning i teori och praktik

Syftet med vårt examensarbete var att ta reda på hur ett processinriktat arbetssätt utvecklar elevens lärande och vad olika kunskapsbegrepp innebär för elevens kunskapsutveckling. Vi ville undersöka hur det processinriktade arbetssätet tillämpas i slöjden kontra ett mer teoretisk uppfattat ämne för att kunna se om där fanns någon skillnad i arbetssätt. Vi har valt i vår undersökning att använd oss av slöjden som utgångspunkt för att se hur slöjden med sitt processinriktade arbetssätt, slöjdprocessen, kan bidra till diskussionen om vad viktig kunskap är idag. Metoder som har använts i vår studie är litteraturstudier och enkätundersökningar där vi vänt oss till lärare i ämnena slöjd och svenska i grundskolans senare del och elever i åk 8 och åk 9 för att se vilka skillnader som finns i synen på hur det processinriktade arbetssättet används i olika undervisningssammanhang. De resultat som vi fick fram visade att det skiljde sig mellan hur det processinriktade arbetssättet används i slöjd och i ämnet svenska. De visade sig att lärarna i slöjden i större utsträckning använde sig av formativ bedömning där man såg till hela lärandeprocessen medan lärarna i ämnet svenska använde sig av den summativa bedömningen, där fokusen mer låg på det färdiga resultatet. Resultaten från elevenkäterna visade på samma resultat. Eleverna menade att man i större utsträckning fick möjlighet till inflytande, ansvarstagande och reflektion i ämnet slöjd än vad man ansåg sig få i ämnet svenska. Däremot var lärarkommentarer efter avslutat arbete vanligare i ämnet svenska än i ämnet slöjd, vilket belyser den summativa bedömningens inriktning. Det som också våra resultat visade är att det processinriktade arbetssättet ökar elevens ansvarstagande över det egna lärandet och där den formativa bedömningen som lärarna gör är en viktig del i elevens kunskapsutveckling, där läraren följer hela elevens lärandeprocess, från idé till färdig produkt. Av analysen framgår att det processinriktade arbetssättet förutsätter ett nära samspel mellan lärare och elev, där en kontinuerlig återkoppling sker av elevens kunskap. Genom det processinriktade arbetssättet får eleven en större tilltro till sin egen förmåga och en självinsikt över sitt eget lärande

Content management system

Manis izveidotā satura pārvaldības sistēma ir paredzēta informācijas apkopošanai, noformēšanai un ievietošanai internetā. Sistēma veidota tā, lai šīs sistēmas administratoriem, informāciju būtu gan ērti ievietot, gan arī pārvaldīt, kā arī, lai ievietotā informācija, pēc tam būtu viegli un ērti pārskatāma šīs sistēmas tīmekļa vietnes lietotājiem. Lai spētu nodemonstrēt manis veidotās satura pārvaldības sistēmas pielietojumu, pēc pasūtījuma izveidoju tīmekļa vietni „vitalikristali.lv”, kura balstās uz šo satura pārvaldības sistēmu. Tīmekļa vietne ir veidota, lai sistēmas lietotājiem tā būtu ērta un vizuāli draudzīga. Šīs tīmekļa vietnes galvenais uzdevums ir informēt tās lietotājus par veikala „Valērija Vitāli Kristāli” esošajiem piedāvājumiem, kuru skaits katru dienu mainās, kas padara šo satura pārvaldības sistēmu par labu risinājumu šīs tīmekļa vietnes pārvaldīšanai.Content management system is made with the purpose of fast and easy information compilation, formating and posting online. System is made, so that the system administrators could easily post and edit the given information and also so that the information posted would always be easily accessible by the content management systems website users. To demonstrate the system, which I have created. I also made a website “vitalikristali.lv”, which functions, are mostly based on this content management system. The website is made, so that it would be convenient to use, and also easy to look at visually. The purpose of the website is to inform its users about the offers of the store “Valērija Vitāli Kristāli”. The offers can change daily, which makes this content management system a good fit for this websites management

Progesterone and levonorgestrel regulate expression of 17 beta HSD-enzymes in progesterone receptor positive breast cancer cell line T47D

The use of combined hormone replacement therapy (HAT) with oestrogens and progestins in postmenopausal women has been associated with an increased risk for developing breast cancer. The reasons are not fully understood, but influence of HRT on endogenous conversion of female sex hormones may be involved. The expression of 17 beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (17 beta HSD), which are enzymes catalysing the conversion between more or less potent oestrogens, may partly be regulated by progestins. The breast cancer cell lines T47D, MCF7 and ZR75-1 were treated with progesterone, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) or levonorgestrel for 48 and 72 h at 10(-7) and 10(-9) M to investigate influence on 17 beta HSD1, 17 beta HSD2 and 17 beta HSD5 mRNA expression measured by real time PCR. The expression of 17 beta HSD1 increased in progesterone and levonorgestrel treated T47D cells (48 h 10(-7) M P = 0.002; P andlt; 0.001) and 17 beta HSD5 increased after progesterone treatment (48 h 10(-7) M P = 0.003), whereas the expression of 17 beta HSD2 decreased after the (48 h 10(-7) M P = 0.003; P andlt; 0.001). Similar, but less prominent effects were seen in MCF7 and ZR75-1. The progestin effects on 17 beta HSD-expression were lost when T47D cells were co-treated with progestins and the progesterone receptor (PgR) inhibitor mifprestone. We show that both reductive (17 beta HSD1 and 17 beta HSD5) and oxidative (17 beta HSD2) members of the 17 beta HSD-family are under control of progesterone and progestins in breast cancer cell lines. This is most clear in T47D cells which have high PgR expression. 17 beta HSD-enzymes are important players in the regulation of sex steroids locally in breast tumours and tumoural expression of various 17 beta HSD-enzymes have prognostic and treatment predictive relevance. We propose a mechanism for increased breast cancer risk after HRT in which hormone replacement affects the expression of 17 beta HSD-enzymes, favouring the expression of reductive enzymes, which in turn could increase levels of bioactive and mitogenic estrogens in local tissue, e.g. breast tissue.Funding Agencies|Cancer and allergy foundation||Hedlunds foundation||Gosta Miltons foundation||Olle Engkvist Byggmastare foundation||Percy Falks Foundation||Cancer Foundation of Ostergotland||</p

Estrogen and androgen-converting enzymes 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and their involvement in cancer: with a special focus on 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, 2, and breast cancer

Sex steroid hormones such as estrogens and androgens are involved in the development and differentiation of the breast tissue. The activity and concentration of sex steroids is determined by the availability from the circulation, and on local conversion. This conversion is primarily mediated by aromatase, steroid sulfatase, and 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases. In postmenopausal women, this is the primary source of estrogens in the breast. Up to 70-80% of all breast cancers express the estrogen receptor-a, responsible for promoting the growth of the tissue. Further, 60-80% express the androgen receptor, which has been shown to have tissue protective effects in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, and a more ambiguous response in estrogen receptor negative breast cancers. In this review, we summarize the function and clinical relevance in cancer for 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases 1, which facilitates the reduction of estrone to estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone to androstendiol and dihydrotestosterone to 3 alpha- and 3 beta-diol as well as 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases 2 which mediates the oxidation of estradiol to estrone, testosterone to androstenedione and androstendiol to dehydroepiandrosterone. The expression of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases 1 and 2 alone and in combination has been shown to predict patient outcome, and inhibition of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases 1 has been proposed to be a prime candidate for inhibition in patients who develop aromatase inhibitor resistance or in combination with aromatase inhibitors as a first line treatment. Here we review the status of inhibitors against 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases 1. In addition, we review the involvement of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases 4, 5, 7, and 14 in breast cancer.Funding Agencies|Swedish Cancer Society [150349]</p

Impact of Temperature on the Physiological Status of a Potential Bioremediation Inoculant, Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6

Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6 (A6) can degrade large amounts of 4-chlorophenol in soil at 5 and 28°C. In this study, we investigated the effects of temperature on the physiological status of this bacterium in pure culture and in soil. A derivative of A6 tagged with the gfp gene (encoding green fluorescent protein [GFP]) was used to specifically quantify A6 cells in soil. In addition, cyano-ditolyl-tetrazoliumchloride was used to stain GFP-fluorescent cells with an active electron transfer system (“viable cells”) whereas propidium iodide (PI) was used to stain cells with damaged membranes (“dead cells”). Another derivative of the strain (tagged with the firefly luciferase gene [luc]) was used to monitor the metabolic activity of the cell population, since the bioluminescence phenotype is dependent on cellular energy reserves. When the cells were incubated in soil at 28°C, the majority were stained with PI, indicating that they had lost their cell integrity. In addition, there was a corresponding decline in metabolic activity and in the ability to be grown in cultures on agar plates after incubation in soil at 28°C, indicating that the cells were dying under those conditions. When the cells were incubated in soil at 5°C, by contrast, the majority of the cells remained intact and a large fraction of the population remained metabolically active. A similar trend towards better cell survival at lower temperatures was found in pure-culture experiments. These results make A. chlorophenolicus A6 a good candidate for the treatment of chlorophenol-contaminated soil in cold climates