Organising, movements and political parties

The paper outlines historical and contemporary relationships between political parties and social movements, with a focus on the Australian Greens. It posits some of the limitations and possibilities of this relationship, drawing on Australia-based experience. It argues the relationship is a necessary one, both to social movements seeking to pursue their agendas through the political system, and to political parties needing to be open to broad public participation and to maintain strong links to on-the-ground issues. It concludes that the Australian Greens have sought to strike a balance between party and movement, recognising the limits of both

Development and evaluation of CXCR4 receptor targeted probes for medical imaging applications

The chemokine receptor CXCR4 has been shown to be overexpressed in over 23 different types of cancers, making it an attractive target for therapeutic and imaging agents. Molecular imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT), are being used for the development of CXCR4 receptor targeted cancer diagnostic agents. This work exploits the properties of tetraazamacrocycles and their known affinity for the chemokine receptor CXCR4. The inclusion of copper-64, gallium-68, fluorine-18, technetium-99m and optical probes allows the high affinity macrocyclic compounds to be developed as imaging agents.Copper-64 labelled CXCR4 targeted PET tracers have been reported in the literature (AMD3100 and AMD3465), however, they suffer from transchelation and loss of the radiolabel in vivo. Novel tetraazamacrocyclic tracers [64Cu][Cu5(OAc)](OAc) and [64Cu][Cu25(OAc)2](OAc)2 were produced in a decay corrected RCY of 41.6 ± 4.6% and 75.4 ± 1.5%. Calcium signalling assays gave an IC50 value of 60 nM and 4 nM, respectively. In vitro cell binding experiments showed that [64Cu][Cu5(OAc)](OAc) had a higher affinity for the CXCR4 receptor when compared to other CXCR4 imaging tracers. In vivo experiments carried out in mice revealed the tracer [64Cu][Cu5(OAc)](OAc) to be specific to CXCR4 with an 8-fold higher uptake seen in the CXCR4 positive cell lines compared to the negative; (23.6 ± 2.7; 3.0 ± 0.5 respectively). Importantly no liver uptake was seen when a blocking dose was administered, indicating the improved stability of the CB cyclam structure.Several approaches for developing a novel gallium-68 CXCR4 targeted PET tracer were investigated. In vitro and in vivo data showed that the inclusion of DOTAGA in [Zn229(OAc)2](OAc)2 resulted in a decrease in affinity. Alternative PEG chain spacer and pretargeted approaches were investigated to overcome this issue. A THP analogue of Pentixafor (P5) was synthesised and radiolabelled in a 76.8% decay corrected RCY. In vivo studies were carried out and showed that the lipophilicity of the THP moiety is detrimental to the biodistribution of the tracer. Inorganic radiofluorination was attempted for the synthesis of fluorine-18 labelled CXCR4 targeting PET probes; with the antagonist [Zn2AlF43(OAc)2](OAc)2 showing high affinity towards the receptor (IC50 = 20 nM).Novel CXCR4 targeted SPECT tracers such as [99mTc][Cu2Tc51(OAc)2](OAc)2 (IC50 = 16 nM) were synthesised and radiolabelled at up to 46.0% RCY. Optical imaging CXCR4 probes were also developed including a novel aza-BODIPY labelled peptide (P7). The antagonist maintained high affinity (IC50 = 42 nM) towards the CXCR4 receptor with initial confocal experiments indicating that the NIR probe is worthy of further investigation

Formative journeys of first-year college students : tensions and intersections with intercultural theory

Development of intercultural skills is recognized as an essential outcome of a college education, but in order to facilitate students' growth effectively, we must understand the points of the developmental journey at which students enter the college classroom. This study tests four hypotheses developed on the basis of leading models of intercultural development in relation to first-year students' levels of maturity, attitudes toward difference, capacity for productive interaction and emotions experienced in the face of difference. To test the hypotheses, we collected written narratives on a formative encounter with difference from 414 incoming students at the University of Minnesota. Each narrative was coded for an initial, intermediate or advanced stage of intercultural development, as well as for the outcomes of the interaction and emotions experienced in the course of the encounter. Findings indicate that: (1) only 21% of respondents display evidence of ethnorelative thinking; (2) the majority report very positive attitudes toward difference, but show evidence of veiled detachment and minimization; (3) there is no difference in reports of productive interaction between those who do and do not display mindfulness and (4) the emotions experienced at various stages of intercultural maturity do not yield a pattern of increasing comfort. We conclude that the points at which our students begin their intercultural journey may differ slightly from what is suggested by leading developmental models, and recommend adjusting the starting point of programming aimed at supporting intercultural competence development in college

First-year students' perspectives on intercultural learning

Faculty can play a critical role in supporting students' intercultural development, but studies indicate that instructors report a lack of formal understanding about how to maximize this opportunity. Through the investigation of 115 first-year students' written reflections, this study provides faculty with students' perspectives on intercultural learning moments that were supported by pedagogical and curricular components. The findings suggest that moments students note as critical to their intercultural development may be initiated within the classroom through intentional knowledge sharing and awareness building, yet extended further by students both inside and outside of the classroom context. This article explores student intercultural learning from the perspective of the student and discusses implications for both classroom and campus culture

Clinical trial reporting performance of thirty UK universities on ClinicalTrials.gov-evaluation of a new tracking tool for the US clinical trial registry.

Clinical trial transparency forms the foundation of evidence-based medicine, and trial sponsors, especially publicly funded institutions such as universities, have an ethical and scientific responsibility to make the results of clinical trials publicly available in a timely fashion. We assessed whether the thirty UK universities receiving the most Medical Research Council funding in 2017-2018 complied with World Health Organization best practices for clinical trial reporting on the US Clinical Trial Registry ( ClinicalTrials.gov ). Firstly, we developed and evaluated a novel automated tracking tool ( clinical-trials-tracker.com ) for clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov . This tracker identifies the number of due trials (whose completion lies more than 395 days in the past) that have not reported results on the registry and can now be used for all sponsors. Secondly, we used the tracker to determine the number of due clinical trials sponsored by the selected UK universities in October 2020. Thirdly, using the FDAAA Trials Tracker, we identified trials sponsored by these universities that are not complying with reporting requirements under the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act 2007. Finally, we quantified the average and median number of days between primary completion date and results posting. In October 2020, the universities included in our study were sponsoring 1634 due trials, only 1.6% (n = 26) of which had reported results within a year of completion. 89.8% (n = 1468) of trials remained unreported, and 8.6% (n = 140) of trials reported results late. We also identified 687 trials that contained inconsistent data, suggesting that UK universities often fail to update their data adequately on ClinicalTrials.gov . The mean reporting delay after primary completion for trials that posted results was 981 days, the median 728 days. Only four trials by UK universities violated the FDAAA 2007. We suggest a number of reasons for the poor reporting performance of UK universities on ClinicalTrials.gov : (i) efforts to improve clinical trial reporting in the UK have to date focused on the European clinical trial registry (EU CTR), (ii) the absence of a tracking tool for timely reporting on ClinicalTrials.gov has limited the visibility of institutions' reporting performance on the US registry and (iii) there is currently a lack of repercussions for UK sponsors who fail to report results on ClinicalTrials.gov which should be addressed in the future

Protocol for the trismus trial—therabite versus wooden spatula in the amelioration of trismus in patients with head and neck cancer: randomised pilot study

201809 bcr

Leap Forward: Advancing LEAP's Land Use Goals

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110959/1/leap_forwardreduced.pd

Identifying effective characteristics of behavioral weight management interventions for people with serious mental illness:A systematic review with a qualitative comparative analysis

People with serious mental illness (SMI) have identified barriers to engaging in behavioral weight management interventions (BWMIs). We assessed whether BWMIs that addressed these barriers were more effective. First, we systematically reviewed qualitative literature and used a thematic analysis to identify the characteristics of BWMIs that promote engagement for adults with SMI. Second, we systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of BWMIs in adults with SMI. Data on the characteristics that promoted engagement and weight outcomes were extracted. We then used a crisp‐set qualitative comparative analysis (CsQCA) to identify which characteristics were associated with weight loss. For the qualitative review, 20 studies in 515 people with SMI were analyzed and nine characteristics were reported to promote engagement in BWMIs. For the systematic review, 34 RCTs testing 36 interventions in 4305 participants were included. The active interventions resulted in more weight loss (mean = −4.37 to +1 kg at 6 weeks to 18 months follow‐up) compared with controls (−1.64 to +3.08 kg). The CsQCA showed BWMIs that offered regular contact, tools to support enactment, and tailored materials were associated with effectiveness. As these are all supplementary strategies, it may be possible to augment BWMIs available for the general population to engage people with SMI

Protein Requirements of Pre-Menopausal Female Athletes: Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature review aimed to determine the protein requirements of pre-menopausal (e.g., 18–45 years) female athletes and identify if the menstrual cycle phase and/or hormonal contraceptive use influence protein requirements. Four databases were searched for original research containing pre-menopausal female athletes that ingested protein alongside exercise. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Criteria Checklist was used to determine study quality. Fourteen studies, which included 204 recreationally active or competitive females, met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this review, and all were assessed as positive quality. The estimated average requirement (EAR) for protein intake of pre-menopausal recreational and/or competitive female athletes is similar for those undertaking aerobic endurance (1.28–1.63 g/kg/day), resistance (1.49 g/kg/day) and intermittent exercise (1.41 g/kg/day) of ~60–90 min duration. The optimal acute protein intake and influence of menstrual cycle phase or hormonal contraceptive use on protein requirements could not be determined. However, pre- and post-exercise protein intakes of 0.32–0.38 g/kg have demonstrated beneficial physiological responses in recreational and competitive female athletes completing resistance and intermittent exercise. The protein requirements outlined in this review can be used for planning and assessing protein intakes of recreational and competitive pre-menopausal female athletes