Aplidin (plitidepsin) is a novel anti-myeloma agent with potent anti-resorptive activity mediated by direct effects on osteoclasts

Despite recent progress in its treatment, Multiple Myeloma (MM) remains incurable and its associated bone disease persists even after complete remission. Thus, identification of new therapeutic agents that simultaneously suppress MM growth and protect bone is an unmet need. Herein, we examined the effects of Aplidin, a novel anti-cancer marine-derived compound, on MM and bone cells. In vitro, Aplidin potently inhibited MM cell growth and induced apoptosis, effects that were enhanced by dexamethasone (Dex) and bortezomib (Btz). Aplidin modestly reduced osteocyte/osteoblast viability and decreased osteoblast mineralization, effects that were enhanced by Dex and partially prevented by Btz. Further, Aplidin markedly decreased osteoclast precursor numbers and differentiation, and reduced mature osteoclast number and resorption activity. Moreover, Aplidin reduced Dex-induced osteoclast differentiation and further decreased osteoclast number when combined with Btz. Lastly, Aplidin alone, or suboptimal doses of Aplidin combined with Dex or Btz, decreased tumor growth and bone resorption in ex vivo bone organ cultures that reproduce the 3D-organization and the cellular diversity of the MM/bone marrow niche. These results demonstrate that Aplidin has potent anti-myeloma and anti-resorptive properties, and enhances proteasome inhibitors blockade of MM growth and bone destruction

Measuring growth and poverty in Tanzania

Tanzania is not on track to meet its Millennium Development Goals target despite a growth record that – as reported – is impressive. Real GDP growth reached historically high levels between 2000-2006, yet this is set against only the slightest reduction in the poverty rate – from 35.7% in 2001 down to 33.4% in 2007

Space|Time|Place : enabling participation in design research for higher education staff

This paper explores the value of design research to better inform design pedagogy in Higher Education. It describes a programme of initiatives aimed at giving staff involved in delivering undergraduate and postgraduate design courses the space, time and place to fully engage with practice-based design research and describes the results of that research. These initiatives aimed to address a perennial problem in design education in the UK. Although being actively involved in research is recognized at the highest levels as beneficial to better staff morale and resulting in better informed teaching, the daily pressures of working in Higher Education combine to restrict the very people who wish to engage with research from doing so. To retain the initial momentum Space/Time/Place provided, the staff established a Community of Practice (COP) ((Lave and Wenger)). The goal of a COP is to bring the peripheral members of the community into full participation within the community guided by more experienced peers who form the core group of the COP. The Space/Time/Place COP met to develop the initial discussions into bids to secure funding for further practice based research. The Community of Practice meetings were supplemented by the use of social media platforms. The strength of support the Space/Time/Place event and Community of Practice have engendered in the staff is undeniable. The outcomes of Space/Time/Place will be exhibited in a group exhibition and used by the authors to model and broker the impact of this approach to other lecturers across the department, faculty and University

Effect of bilayer coupling on tunneling conductance of double-layer high T_c cuprates

Physical effects of bilayer coupling on the tunneling spectroscopy of high T$_{c}$ cuprates are investigated. The bilayer coupling separates the bonding and antibonding bands and leads to a splitting of the coherence peaks in the tunneling differential conductance. However, the coherence peak of the bonding band is strongly suppressed and broadened by the particle-hole asymmetry in the density of states and finite quasiparticle life-time, and is difficult to resolve by experiments. This gives a qualitative account why the bilayer splitting of the coherence peaks was not clearly observed in tunneling measurements of double-layer high-T$_c$ oxides.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to be published in PR

Radiometric Wireless Sensor Network Monitoring of Partial Discharge Sources in Electrical Substations

A wireless sensor network (WSN) with the potential to monitor and locate partial discharge (PD) in high-voltage electricity substations using only received signal strength (RSS) is proposed. The advantages of an RSS-based operating principle over more traditional methods (e.g., time-of-arrival and time-difference-of-arrival) are described. Laboratory measurements of PD that emulate the operation of a PD WSN are presented. The hardware architecture of a prototype PD WSN is described and the particular challenges of an RSS-based location approach in an environment with an unknown, and spatially varying, path-loss index are discussed. It is concluded that an RSS-based PD WSN is a plausible solution for the monitoring of insulation integrity in electricity substations

Pre-admission interventions to improve outcome after elective surgery-protocol for a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Poor physical health and fitness increases the risk of death and complications after major elective surgery. Pre-admission interventions to improve patients’ health and fitness (referred to as prehabilitation) may reduce postoperative complications, decrease the length of hospital stay and facilitate the patient’s recovery. We will conduct a systematic review of RCTs to examine the effectiveness of different types of prehabilitation interventions in improving the surgical outcomes of patients undergoing elective surgery. METHODS: This review will be conducted and reported according to the Cochrane and PRISMA reporting guidelines. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ISI Web of Science and clinical trial registers will be searched for any intervention administered before any elective surgery (including physical activity, nutritional, educational, psychological, clinical or multicomponent), which aims to improve postoperative outcomes. Reference lists of included studies will be searched, and grey literature including conference proceedings, theses, dissertations and preoperative assessment protocols will be examined. Study quality will be assessed using Cochrane’s risk of bias tool, and meta-analyses for trials that use similar interventions and report similar outcomes will be undertaken where possible. DISCUSSION: This systematic review will determine whether different types of interventions administered before elective surgery are effective in improving postoperative outcomes. It will also determine which components or combinations of components would form the most effective prehabilitation intervention. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD4201501919

Communicating Across Cultures: The Role of Language Interpreters

“Culture in its broadest sense is cultivated behavior; that is the totality of a person\u27s learned, accumulated experience which is socially transmitted, or more briefly, behavior through social learning.” Therefore, “Culture is communication; communication is culture” (Tamu, 2001). “The collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from others”’. (Hofstede, 1997). Using Edward Hall and Hofstede’s theories, the study explores why culture is prominent in language interpreting. What are some prominent cultural norms that appear while language interpreting? How do they influence the effectiveness of the translation? The study conducted interviews of language interpreters and summarized the results to provide answers to the questions above

Communicating Across Cultures: The Role of Language Interpreters

“Culture in its broadest sense is cultivated behavior; that is the totality of a person's learned, accumulated experience which is socially transmitted, or more briefly, behavior through social learning.” Therefore, “Culture is communication; communication is culture” (Tamu, 2001). “The collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from others”’. (Hofstede, 1997). Using Edward Hall and Hofstede’s theories, the study explores why culture is prominent in language interpreting. What are some prominent cultural norms that appear while language interpreting? How do they influence the effectiveness of the translation? The study conducted interviews of language interpreters and summarized the results to provide answers to the questions above.SUNY BrockportBusiness Administration and EconomicsSenior Honors These

Bisphenol A exposure in Mexico City and risk of prematurity: a pilot nested case control study

Abstract Background Presence of Bisphenol A (BPA) has been documented worldwide in a variety of human biological samples. There is growing evidence that low level BPA exposure may impact placental tissue development and thyroid function in humans. The aim of this present pilot study was to determine urinary concentrations of BPA during the last trimester of pregnancy among a small subset of women in Mexico City, Mexico and relate these concentrations to risk of delivering prematurely. Methods A nested case-control subset of 60 participants in the Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) study in Mexico City, Mexico were selected based on delivering less than or equal to 37 weeks of gestation and greater than 37 weeks of gestation. Third trimester archived spot urine samples were analyzed by online solid phase extraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. Results BPA was detected in 80.0% (N = 48) of the urine samples; total concentrations ranged from < 0.4 μg/L to 6.7 μg/L; uncorrected geometric mean was 1.52 μg/L. The adjusted odds ratio of delivering less than or equal to 37 weeks in relation to specific gravity adjusted third trimester BPA concentration was 1.91 (95%CI 0.93, 3.91, p-value = 0.08). When cases were further restricted to births occurring prior to the 37th week (n = 12), the odds ratio for specific-gravity adjusted BPA was larger and statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions This is the first study to document measurable levels of BPA in the urine of a population of Mexican women. This study also provides preliminary evidence, based on a single spot urine sample collected during the third trimester, that pregnant women who delivered less than or equal to 37 weeks of gestation and prematurely (< 37 weeks) had higher urinary concentrations of BPA compared to women delivering after 37 weeks.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78251/1/1476-069X-9-62.xmlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78251/2/1476-069X-9-62.pdfPeer Reviewe