Noncommutative generalizations of theorems of Cohen and Kaplansky

This paper investigates situations where a property of a ring can be tested on a set of "prime right ideals." Generalizing theorems of Cohen and Kaplansky, we show that every right ideal of a ring is finitely generated (resp. principal) iff every "prime right ideal" is finitely generated (resp. principal), where the phrase "prime right ideal" can be interpreted in one of many different ways. We also use our methods to show that other properties can be tested on special sets of right ideals, such as the right artinian property and various homological properties. Applying these methods, we prove the following noncommutative generalization of a result of Kaplansky: a (left and right) noetherian ring is a principal right ideal ring iff all of its maximal right ideals are principal. A counterexample shows that the left noetherian hypothesis cannot be dropped. Finally, we compare our results to earlier generalizations of Cohen's and Kaplansky's theorems in the literature.Comment: 41 pages. To appear in Algebras and Representation Theory. Minor changes were made to the numbering system, in order to remain consistent with the published versio

Effects of PREPARE, a Multi-component, School-Based HIV and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Prevention Programme on Adolescent Sexual Risk Behaviour and IPV : Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial

Young South Africans, especially women, are at high risk of HIV. We evaluated the effects of PREPARE, a multi-component, school-based HIV prevention intervention to delay sexual debut, increase condom use and decrease intimate partner violence (IPV) among young adolescents. We conducted a cluster RCT among Grade eights in 42 high schools. The intervention comprised education sessions, a school health service and a school sexual violence prevention programme. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Regression was undertaken to provide ORs or coefficients adjusted for clustering. Of 6244 sampled adolescents, 55.3 % participated. At 12 months there were no differences between intervention and control arms in sexual risk behaviours. Participants in the intervention arm were less likely to report IPV victimisation (35.1 vs. 40.9 %; OR 0.77, 95 % CI 0.61-0.99; t(40) = 2.14) suggesting the intervention shaped intimate partnerships into safer ones, potentially lowering the risk for HIV

Early Detection of Erlotinib Treatment Response in NSCLC by 3′-Deoxy-3′-[18F]-Fluoro-L-Thymidine ([18F]FLT) Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Background: Inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has shown clinical success in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Somatic mutations of EGFR were found in lung adenocarcinoma that lead to exquisite dependency on EGFR signaling; thus patients with EGFR-mutant tumors are at high chance of response to EGFR inhibitors. However, imaging approaches affording early identification of tumor response in EGFR-dependent carcinomas have so far been lacking. Methodology/Principal Findings: We performed a systematic comparison of 3′-Deoxy-3′-[$^{18}F$]-fluoro-L-thymidine ([$^{18}F$]FLT) and 2-[$^{18}F$]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([$^{18}F$]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) for their potential to identify response to EGFR inhibitors in a model of EGFR-dependent lung cancer early after treatment initiation. While erlotinib-sensitive tumors exhibited a striking and reproducible decrease in [$^{18}F$]FLT uptake after only two days of treatment, [$^{18}F$]FDG PET based imaging revealed no consistent reduction in tumor glucose uptake. In sensitive tumors, a decrease in [$^{18}F$]FLT PET but not [$^{18}F$]FDG PET uptake correlated with cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis. The reduction in [$^{18}F$]FLT PET signal at day 2 translated into dramatic tumor shrinkage four days later. Furthermore, the specificity of our results is confirmed by the complete lack of [$^{18}F$]FLT PET response of tumors expressing the T790M erlotinib resistance mutation of EGFR. Conclusions: [$^{18}F$]FLT PET enables robust identification of erlotinib response in EGFR-dependent tumors at a very early stage. [$^{18}F$]FLT PET imaging may represent an appropriate method for early prediction of response to EGFR TKI treatment in patients with NSCLC

Formation of Toxic Oligomeric α-Synuclein Species in Living Cells

Background: Misfolding, oligomerization, and fibrillization of α-synuclein are thought to be central events in the onset and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) and related disorders. Although fibrillar α-synuclein is a major component of Lewy bodies (LBs), recent data implicate prefibrillar, oligomeric intermediates as the toxic species. However, to date, oligomeric species have not been identified in living cells. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we used bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) to directly visualize α-synuclein oligomerization in living cells, allowing us to study the initial events leading to α-synuclein oligomerization, the precursor to aggregate formation. This novel assay provides us with a tool with which to investigate how manipulations affecting α-synuclein aggregation affect the process over time. Stabilization of α-synuclein oligomers via BiFC results in increased cytotoxicity, which can be rescued by Hsp70 in a process that reduces the formation of α-synuclein oligomers. Introduction of PD-associated mutations in α-synuclein did not affect oligomer formation but the biochemical properties of the mutant α-synuclein oligomers differ from those of wild type α-synuclein. Conclusions/Significance: This novel application of the BiFC assay to the study of the molecular basis of neurodegenerative disorders enabled the direct visualization of α-synuclein oligomeric species in living cells and its modulation by Hsp70, constituting a novel important tool in the search for therapeutics for synucleinopathies

Diagnostic utility of snail in metaplastic breast carcinoma

Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare subtype of breast cancer characterized by coexistence of carcinomatous and sarcomatous components. Snail is a nuclear transcription factor incriminated in the transition of epithelial to mesenchymal differentiation of breast cancer. Aberrant Snail expression results in lost expression of the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin, an event associated with changes in epithelial architecture and invasive growth. We aimed to identify the utility of Snail, and of traditional immunohistochemical markers, in accurate MBC classification and to evaluate clinicopathologic characteristics and outcome

Особенности фармакотерапии специфических и неспецифических инфекций респираторного тракта в лечебных учреждениях Самарской области

Irrational administration of antimicrobials, incorrect regimens and dosing provide occurrence of adverse effects with minimal therapeutic results and development of drug resistance including anti-tuberculosis drugs. The study was designed to detect information sources on drug therapy used by general practitioners and TB specialists, to establish stereotypical models of antibacterial drug administration in prevalent upper and lower airway diseases at the Samara region and to substantiate the supposition about unreasonable empiric administration of anti-tuberculosis drugs in a respiratory patient without microbiological confirmation as a probable cause of drug resistant tuberculosis. A cross-sectional study based on a special questionnaire was performed in 425 general practitioners in primary care facilities, hospitals and in TB specialists at the Samara region. The questionnaire contained several clinical situations and their solving and the respondents should choose the most suitable ones. Results demonstrated that majority of the practitioners (80 %, or 340 / 425 cases) widely use advertising information regarding antimicrobials. Several doctors (1.7 %) chose antibacterial drugs to treat acute respiratory viral infection, 0.8 to 1.6 % of doctors certainly decided to administer anti-tuberculotics in non-TB respiratory diseases such as acute bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, communityacquired pneumonia and acute tonsillitis, and approximately one fifth of the practitioners thought to administer antituberculotics in these diseases (18.4 % (78 / 425) – rifampicin, 21.2 % (90 / 425) – isoniasid).Нерациональное назначение антибактериальных средств и неверно выбранные схемы и дозировки способствуют развитию побочных эффектов (при минимальном терапевтическом эффекте) и возникновению лекарственной устойчивости к препаратам основных групп антибиотиков, в т. ч. и к противотуберкулезным препаратам. В цели исследования входило определить источники информации по схемам лечения, используемым врачами общей лечебной сети и фтизиатрами противотуберкулезной службы, выявить стереотипные модели назначения антибактериальных препаратов, используемых в Самарской области для лечения наиболее распространенных заболеваний верхних и нижних дыхательных путей, и обосновать положение о том, что возможными предпосылками возникновения лекарственной устойчивости к противотуберкулезным препаратам может служить бездоказательное эмпирическое назначение таких препаратов при наличии у больного симптомов респираторного заболевания с неподтвержденной туберкулезной этиологией. Одномоментное исследование, в основе которого лежало применение специально разработанного вопросника, было проведено среди 425 врачей первичного медицинского звена, терапевтов стационаров и фтизиатров противотуберкулезных учреждений Самарской области. Вопросник содержал описание нескольких клинических ситуаций, респонденты должны были выбрать наиболее подходящие для этих ситуаций ответы. Результаты исследования показали, что рекламная информация по назначению антибиотиков, предоставляемая фармацевтическими компаниями, широко – в 80 % (340 / 425) случаев – используется большинством врачей. Небольшая группа врачей (1,7 %) выбрала назначение антибиотиков для лечения острого респираторного заболевания; от 0,8 % до 1,6 % врачей указали, что непременно назначат противотуберкулезные препараты для лечения четырех заболеваний дыхательных путей нетуберкулезной этиологии (острого бронхита, хронической обструктивной болезни легких, внебольничной пневмонии и острого тонзиллита), примерно пятая часть врачей не исключает назначения противотуберкулезных препаратов (18,4 %, (78 / 425) – Рифампицин; 21,2 % (90 / 425) – Изониазид) при лечении перечисленных заболеваний

The clinical utility of molecular diagnostic testing for primary immune deficiency disorders: a case based review

Primary immune deficiency disorders (PIDs) are a group of diseases associated with a genetic predisposition to recurrent infections, malignancy, autoimmunity and allergy. The molecular basis of many of these disorders has been identified in the last two decades. Most are inherited as single gene defects. Identifying the underlying genetic defect plays a critical role in patient management including diagnosis, family studies, prognostic information, prenatal diagnosis and is useful in defining new diseases. In this review we outline the clinical utility of molecular testing for these disorders using clinical cases referred to Auckland Hospital. It is written from the perspective of a laboratory offering a wide range of tests for a small developed country