Examining the Decision to Pursue Fraternity/Sorority Advising as a Career

Limited research exists that considers the decision to pursue student affairs as a career, and there is no known research to examine the decision to specifically pursue fraternity/sorority advising. This qualitative, narrative analysis study centers the career decision-making of seven professionals in fraternity/sorority advising roles. Findings indicate that participants experienced a “light-bulb” moment when student affairs became a potential future career, and advisors and mentors were influential in these decisions. Prioritization of fraternity/sorority advising roles in both graduate programs and professional positions was apparent, and motivation to continue in the field is also addressed

Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome Managed with Laparoscopic Duodenojejunostomy

BACKGROUND: Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a rare disorder that may be managed surgically if conservative management fails. Different surgical techniques have been described, division of the ligament of Treitz, gastrojejunostomy, and duodenojejunostomy. The aim of this case series is to show that laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy is a safe and technically feasible management for superior mesenteric artery syndrome. METHODS: In this case series, we retrospectively identified all patients who underwent laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy for SMA syndrome in our tertiary university center between December 2016 and July 2019. Data collected included demographics, presenting symptoms, comorbidities, pre and postoperative body mass index (BMI), operative approach, operative blood loss, operative duration, clinical and radiological results, in hospital/30-day complications, mortality, and postoperative follow-up outcomes. RESULTS: We identified eleven patients, 10 females and 1 male, with a median age 23 years (range 17–43 years). All patients had refractory symptoms after a minimum of two months of conservative management and subsequently underwent laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy. There were no intraoperative complications and no in-hospital or 30-day postoperative mortality or complications were identified. Follow-up data showed complete resolution in 73% of patients (n = 8) and only one patient with no improvement postoperatively. Results also showed a median BMI increase of 2 kg/m(2) (range 1–9 kg/m(2)) at a median follow-up of 16 months (range 4–48 months). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy is a safe treatment option for SMA syndrome and should be considered when patients do not respond to conservative management

Sustainability Matters: Guiding Principles for Sustainability in Occupational Therapy Practice, Education and Scholarship

Introduction The environment (context of occupational performance) has always been a focus for occupational therapists. Recently, sustainability has become a key occupational therapy topic (Swedish Association of Occupational Therapists 2012, College of Occupational Therapists 2013). Following the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (2012) position statement on environmental sustainability, it is timely for WFOT to provide curricula guidelines in ‘Sustainability Matters: Guiding Principles on Sustainable Development’. This addresses the relevance of sustainable development to human occupational performance, making it part of occupational therapy’s professional scope. It follows a wider global awareness of sustainability amongst health professions and governmental organisations, and the recognition that “climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century” (UCL-Lancet Commission 2009, p.1659) affecting all human populations

Mitochondrial Electron Transport Is the Cellular Target of the Oncology Drug Elesclomol

Elesclomol is a first-in-class investigational drug currently undergoing clinical evaluation as a novel cancer therapeutic. The potent antitumor activity of the compound results from the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress to levels incompatible with cellular survival. However, the molecular target(s) and mechanism by which elesclomol generates ROS and subsequent cell death were previously undefined. The cellular cytotoxicity of elesclomol in the yeast S. cerevisiae appears to occur by a mechanism similar, if not identical, to that in cancer cells. Accordingly, here we used a powerful and validated technology only available in yeast that provides critical insights into the mechanism of action, targets and processes that are disrupted by drug treatment. Using this approach we show that elesclomol does not work through a specific cellular protein target. Instead, it targets a biologically coherent set of processes occurring in the mitochondrion. Specifically, the results indicate that elesclomol, driven by its redox chemistry, interacts with the electron transport chain (ETC) to generate high levels of ROS within the organelle and consequently cell death. Additional experiments in melanoma cells involving drug treatments or cells lacking ETC function confirm that the drug works similarly in human cancer cells. This deeper understanding of elesclomol's mode of action has important implications for the therapeutic application of the drug, including providing a rationale for biomarker-based stratification of patients likely to respond in the clinical setting

Elevated plasma TGF-β1 levels in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

SummaryBackgroundTransforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), a multifunctional cytokine, has been implicated to be responsible for the increased deposition of extracellular matrix in the airways, and increased submucosal collagen expression in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We determined plasma TGF-β1 levels in patients with COPD and explored its association with common functional polymorphisms of TGF-β1 gene at C-509T and T869C in the development of COPD in a case–control study.MethodsStable COPD patients who were ever smokers, and age and pack-years smoked matched healthy controls (n = 205 in each group) were recruited for measurement of plasma TGF-β1 levels using commercially available ELISA kit, and genotyped at C-509T and T869C functional polymorphisms of TGF-β1 gene using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP).ResultsCOPD patients had significantly elevated plasma TGF-β1 levels in comparison to healthy controls irrespective of the genotypes. Allele frequencies and genotype distributions at both polymorphic sites were not different among COPD patients or controls. TGF-β1 levels were inversely correlated (Pearson's correlation analysis) with FEV1 (% predicted) (p < 0.001) and FVC (% predicted) (p < 0.001).ConclusionThe findings of elevated plasma TGF-β1 levels in patients with COPD suggest that TGF-β1 may play a role in COPD pathogenesis. The C-509T and T869C functional polymorphisms of TGF-β1 gene do not represent a genetic predisposition to COPD susceptibility in Hong Kong Chinese patients

A comprehensive platform for highly multiplexed mammalian functional genetic screens

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Genome-wide screening in human and mouse cells using RNA interference and open reading frame over-expression libraries is rapidly becoming a viable experimental approach for many research labs. There are a variety of gene expression modulation libraries commercially available, however, detailed and validated protocols as well as the reagents necessary for deconvolving genome-scale gene screens using these libraries are lacking. As a solution, we designed a comprehensive platform for highly multiplexed functional genetic screens in human, mouse and yeast cells using popular, commercially available gene modulation libraries. The Gene Modulation Array Platform (GMAP) is a single microarray-based detection solution for deconvolution of loss and gain-of-function pooled screens.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Experiments with specially constructed lentiviral-based plasmid pools containing ~78,000 shRNAs demonstrated that the GMAP is capable of deconvolving genome-wide shRNA "dropout" screens. Further experiments with a larger, ~90,000 shRNA pool demonstrate that equivalent results are obtained from plasmid pools and from genomic DNA derived from lentivirus infected cells. Parallel testing of large shRNA pools using GMAP and next-generation sequencing methods revealed that the two methods provide valid and complementary approaches to deconvolution of genome-wide shRNA screens. Additional experiments demonstrated that GMAP is equivalent to similar microarray-based products when used for deconvolution of open reading frame over-expression screens.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Herein, we demonstrate four major applications for the GMAP resource, including deconvolution of pooled RNAi screens in cells with at least 90,000 distinct shRNAs. We also provide detailed methodologies for pooled shRNA screen readout using GMAP and compare next-generation sequencing to GMAP (i.e. microarray) based deconvolution methods.</p

Sociala kategoriseringar i samspel : Hur kön, etnicitet och generation konstitueras i ungdomars samtal

The aim of the thesis is to show how gender, ethnicity and generation membership categories are constituted in talk-in-interaction. The main material comprises seven video recordings of multi-participant conversations among school pupils, aged 16 to 19. An important theoretical term is intersectionality, i.e. the interplay between different social categories. The tools of analysis are mainly derived from conversation analysis and discursive psychology. Identity is seen as a dynamic phenomenon and I analyse the identities the participants themselves make relevant during the course of the conversations. The investigation, aided by membership categorisation analysis, is carried out into how social categories are negotiated and used in establishing identity. In the analyses, social categories in particular are used in order to constitute identities by the participants’ creating contrasts between in-group, we, and out-group, them. Category-bound activities are used to constitute social categories. The participants also use more specific resources for talk-in-interaction – for example, active voicing and extreme case formulations – to establish or negotiate social categories. Interactional strategies and tools are used in resistance to avoid being attributed membership in a certain category, and partly consist of various ways of renegotiating the implication of belonging to a certain category. Thus, generalising notions about social groups become more nuanced and the adolescents avoid being categorised as passive victims of cultural notions. Gender, ethnicity and generation membership are furthermore constituted through storytelling. To sum up, the above linguistic resources are used first and foremost for three different types of discursive work during the group conversations. First, the adolescents argue that they are unique and independent and therefore not dependent on cultural expectations. Secondly, they place themselves in relation to the categories by their enacting themselves as normal in various ways. Thirdly, the adolescents establish a positive self image by modifying or renegotiating the non-desirable activities associated with the categories. The results show how the categories have situational relevance and are dealt with locally, and invoke normative expectations as to how members of social groups ought to behave