Advantages of the AMDL-ELISA DR-70 (FDP) Assay over Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) for Monitoring Colorectal Cancer Patients

The DR-70® (FDP) test was the first cancer test cleared by USFDA for monitoring colorectal cancer (CRC) since Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) in 1982. Conservatively, 50% of biopsy-positive CRC patients have negative CEA values. DR-70 and CEA values were compared for 113 CRC monitoring patients. Total concordance rates for DR-70 and CEA were 0.665 and 0.686, respectively. CRC patient pairs were grouped based on their CEA value to deduce DR-70's effectiveness at monitoring patients with low CEA values. DR-70 had 12% to 100% greater positive concordance rates than CEA in this group. DR-70 is a welcome new option for CRC patients

Y-box protein-1/p18 fragment identifies malignancies in patients with chronic liver disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Immunohistochemical detection of cold shock proteins is predictive for deleterious outcome in various malignant diseases. We recently described active secretion of a family member, denoted Y-box (YB) protein-1. We tested the clinical and diagnostic value of YB-1 protein fragment p18 (YB-1/p18) detection in blood for malignant diseases.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used a novel monoclonal anti-YB-1 antibody to detect YB-1/p18 by immunoblotting in plasma samples of healthy volunteers (n = 33), patients with non-cancerous, mostly inflammatory diseases (n = 60), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; n = 25) and advanced solid tumors (n = 20). YB-1/p18 was then tested in 111 patients with chronic liver diseases, alongside established tumor markers and various diagnostic measures, during evaluation for potential liver transplantation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We developed a novel immunoblot to detect the 18 kD fragment of secreted YB-1 in human plasma (YB-1/p18) that contains the cold-shock domains (CSD) 1-3 of the full-length protein. YB-1/p18 was detected in 11/25 HCC and 16/20 advanced carcinomas compared to 0/33 healthy volunteers and 10/60 patients with non-cancerous diseases. In 111 patients with chronic liver disease, YB-1/p18 was detected in 20 samples. Its occurrence was not associated with advanced Child stages of liver cirrhosis or liver function. In this cohort, YB-1/p18 was not a good marker for HCC, but proved most powerful in detecting malignancies other than HCC (60% positive) with a lower rate of false-positive results compared to established tumor markers. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was most sensitive in detecting HCC, but simultaneous assessment of AFP, CA19-9 and YB-1/p18 improved overall identification of HCC patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Plasma YB-1/p18 can identify patients with malignancies, independent of acute inflammation, renal impairment or liver dysfunction. The detection of YB-1/p18 in human plasma may have potential as a tumor marker for screening of high-risk populations, e.g. before organ transplantation, and should therefore be evaluated in larger prospective studies.</p

Alphabet-fitbit acquisition: cannot build it? just buy it.

This business case focuses on the M&A process and all the topics that come along with it, by analysing from a practical point of view the acquisition of the wearables high-tech company FitbitInc.by the tech giant AlphabetInc. Such case has the aim to provide in particular a deep understanding of this acquisition, and more in generalabout all the considerations that have to be made in M&As within the technology sector, anditprovides an overview under a strategic, financial, and methodological point of view

You Do for Your Kids : A Self-Study of Responsible Mentoring

In this self-study/fiction-based research study, I explored how I responsibly mentored three teaching fellows in culturally responsive teaching (CRT) and analyzed moments where I missed opportunities to implement responsible mentoring (RM) practices. I conducted interviews and teacher observation cycles to engage participants in RM and support them with CRT. Data analysis techniques included multiple coding rounds, constant comparison, interrater agreement checks, within-case and cross-case analysis, the use of a critical friend to refine interpretations, and the use of a fiction planning process to represent the findings as stories. I used Dedoose (SocioCultural Research Consultants LLC, 2018) and Google docs/spreadsheets to engage in data analysis. The findings were that I engaged all three teachers in elements of RM and CRT, resulting in three distinct mentoring stories. Further, I identified and analyzed several mentoring missteps, also present in the mentoring stories. This study revealed that researchers who wish to practice RM and support teachers with CRT should engage in recommended self-work and plan how to integrate it into mentoring practices before attempting such an endeavor. The findings suggest that while good intentions are far from enough to practice RM, they are a start, and RM may be a useful mentoring framework to support teaching fellows with CRT