On social class, anno 2014

This article responds to the critical reception of the arguments made about social class in Savage et al. (2013). It emphasises the need to disentangle different strands of debate so as not to conflate four separate issues: (a) the value of the seven class model proposed; (b) the potential of the large web survey – the Great British Class Survey (GBCS) for future research; (c) the value of Bourdieusian perspectives for re-energising class analysis; and (d) the academic and public reception to the GBCS itself. We argue that, in order to do justice to the full potential of the GBCS, we need a concept of class which does not reduce it to a technical measure of a single variable and which recognises how multiple axes of inequality can crystallise as social classes. Whilst recognising the limitations of what we are able to claim on the basis of the GBCS, we argue that the seven classes defined in Savage et al. (2013) have sociological resonance in pointing to the need to move away from a focus on class boundaries at the middle reaches of the class structure towards an analysis of the power of elite formation

Altered regulation of cardiac calcium handling proteins in an in vivo rat model of angiotensin-induced hypertension

Hypertension is a major comorbidity in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which remains an increasing global challenge. Cardiac remodelling and dysfunction as well as altered calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis are all characteristics of this disease1,2. However, existing models and evidence on the mechanisms driving this form of cardiomyopathy remain contradictory

Growth of 1T ' MoTe2 by thermally assisted conversion of electrodeposited tellurium films

Molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) is a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) which has two phases stable under ambient conditions, a semiconducting (2H) and semimetallic (1T') phase. Despite a host of interesting properties and potential applications, MoTe2 is one of the less-studied TMDs, perhaps due its relatively low abundance in nature or challenges associated with its synthesis, such as the toxicity of most precursors. In this report, we describe the fabrication of thin films of phase-pure IT' MoTe2 using predeposited molybdenum and electrodeposited tellurium layers, at the relatively low temperature of 450 C. This method allows control over film geometry and over the tellurium concentration during the conversion. The MoTe2 films are characterized by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and electron microscopies. When applied as a catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction, the films display promising initial results. The MoTe2 films have a Tafel slope of below 70 mV dec(-1) and compare favorably with other MoTe2 catalysts reported in the literature, especially considering the inherently scalable fabrication method. The variation in electrocatalytic behavior with thickness and morphology of the films is also investigated

hENT1 Predicts Benefit from Gemcitabine in Pancreatic Cancer but Only with Low CDA mRNA

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Recent clinical trials suggest that combination therapies that include either gemcitabine or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) both give significant survival benefits for pancreatic cancer patients. The tumor level of the nucleoside transporter hENT1 is prognostic in patients treated with adjuvant gemcitabine but not adjuvant 5-FU. This work shows for the first time that hENT1 is only predictive of benefit from gemcitabine over 5-FU in patients with low levels of CDA transcript. A choice between adjuvant 5-FU based combination therapies (such as FOLFIRINOX) and gemcitabine-based therapy (e.g., GemCap) could be made based on a combination of hENT1 protein and CDA mRNA measured in a resected tumor. ABSTRACT: Gemcitabine or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based treatments can be selected for pancreatic cancer. Equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1) predicts adjuvant gemcitabine treatment benefit over 5-FU. Cytidine deaminase (CDA), inside or outside of the cancer cell, will deaminate gemcitabine, altering transporter affinity. ESPAC-3(v2) was a pancreatic cancer trial comparing adjuvant gemcitabine and 5-FU. Tissue microarray sections underwent in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Analysis of both CDA and hENT1 was possible with 277 patients. The transcript did not correlate with protein levels for either marker. High hENT1 protein was prognostic with gemcitabine; median overall survival was 26.0 v 16.8 months (p = 0.006). Low CDA transcript was prognostic regardless of arm; 24.8 v 21.2 months with gemcitabine (p = 0.02) and 26.4 v 14.6 months with 5-FU (p = 0.02). Patients with low hENT1 protein did better with 5-FU, but only if the CDA transcript was low (median survival of 5-FU v gemcitabine; 29.3 v 18.3 months, compared with 14.2 v 14.6 with high CDA). CDA mRNA is an independent prognostic biomarker. When added to hENT1 protein status, it may also provide treatment-specific predictive information and, within the frame of a personalized treatment strategy, guide to either gemcitabine or 5FU for the individual patient