Anthiom: A Christian YA Novel

Kaelyn gripped tight at the silk sheets around her before her body settled into even breaths. In. Out. In. out. She could still see the shadowed faces in their dark hoods and the fires. There were always fires. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling above her, counting the number of tiles from the edge of her bed to the mahogany dresser. In. Out. One. In. Out. Two. You are back in your room, she reminded herself. It was just a dream. Kaelyn? her door creaked open and she jumped. Are you okay? She rolled over and saw the shadow of his large frame. Of course he would hear and come to check on her. If there was anyone she didn\u27t want in her room, it was him. I\u27m fine Daemon. Just a bad dream. He nodded, his blonde locks moving as he did. You\u27re probably just nervous. We have a big day tomorrow. There was an uneasiness in her stomach. Kaelyn couldn\u27t forget about the press conference, even if she wanted to. Usually, she just stood in the back as her father and Daemon did all the talking, but every once in a while, a charismatic reporter would walk up to her and shove a microphone in her face. She rolled her eyes. Yeah, it\u27s probably just nerves. He took two steps toward her, and Kaelyn mentally took a step back. Do you want me to have Ellie get you something? And wake her up at this hour? She would kill me, thought Kaelyn. No. Really Daemon. I\u27 m fine. It\u27s just a dream. Yeah, just a dream. He started to go, but stopped. Crossing the room, he bent down and pressed his cold lips to her cheek. Sweet dreams. Just a dream. It was just a dream, she tried reminding herself. But it\u27s the same one she had all the time. It was the same dream that turned into a nightmare

The role of cerebellar nuclear GABAergic neurotransmission in eyeblink motor control

One of the best understood models of motor learning is the eyeblink classical conditioning paradigm in rabbits. Eyeblink conditioning relies on cerebellar circuits for the generation and expression of conditioned responses (CRs). Although these circuits have been studied extensively, their specific function is unknown and highly debated. To this end, a series of experiments were conducted to gain insight into the role of the intermediate cerebellum in the timing and retention of CRs. The first objective of our research was to develop an accurate method to record rabbit eyeblinks. We developed an infrared, frequency modulated, non-invasive sensor with a wide-field of view. The sensor was tested against previous opto-electric, electromechanical, and video recording systems and as a result of its accuracy in eyeblink detection, this sensor was used in all subsequent experiments. In the first group of neuropharmacological experiments, we examined the effects of inactivating the cerebellar cortical GABAergic Purkinje cell projection to the interposed nuclei (IN) on CR expression. This study successfully reconciled a long-standing controversy by documenting the dose-dependency of behavioral effects. While low doses of GABAergic blockers shortened CR latencies (short-latency responses - SLRs), the high doses of these drugs abolished CRs. In addition, low doses of GABA blockers facilitated the expression of unconditioned eyeblinks and increased eyelid closure. These data indicate that CR timing is altered only during an incomplete block of the cortical projections to the IN and that the intermediate cerebellum controls non-associative components of blinking. The next group of experiments examined whether SLRs are triggered by cerebellum-mediated sensory information. To address this question, we inactivated the conditioned stimulus (CS)-carrying axons in the middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP) in rabbits producing SLRs. We found that blocking CS information from entering the intermediate cerebellum does in fact abolish both CRs and SLRs. This finding suggests that SLRs are cerebellum-dependent responses that are evoked by residual CS information entering the cerebellum via incompletely blocked cortical projections to the nuclei. In the last group of experiments we tested whether the behavioral effects of MCP inactivation could be attributed to a tonic malfunction of cerebellar circuits. Classically conditioned rabbits were injected with sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX) in the MCP while recording from cells in the interposed nuclei (IN). This treatment abolished CRs and elevated the spontaneous activity of IN neurons. Surprisingly, the CS-related modulation was not blocked and in some cases it increased. These observations suggest that normal functioning of the MCP is critical for CR expression, and the persistence of CS-related IN activity indicates that a significant portion of CS information reaches the cerebellum through pathways other than the ipsilateral MCP

A Novel Method for Confirming the Presence of Volatile Reduced Sulfide Compounds via Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy

Millions of dollars in destruction in the past decade have resulted from the use of Chinese drywall in homes. There are also potential health hazards related to this corrosive material. As such, it is important to find a way to identify Chinese drywall. Drywall can be tested for certain markers, such as strontium, sulfur, and carbonates to identify it as corrosive Chinese drywall. The laboratory preparation and analysis should be efficient and cost effective. The methods previously used, such as an X-ray fluorescence gun have had issues with getting a proper reading due to the layers of other materials found on the drywall, and instruments such as atomic absorption can only test for one metal at a time. This investigation is beneficial because it uses a novel technique. This experiment focused on developing a method for the ICP-AES, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, which could qualitatively identify the presence of sulfide compounds in drywall. The drywall samples were set up in a natural environment, and the presence of sulfide compounds were tested for with copper coupons. The oxidized copper was then put into an acidic solution, and real time analysis was used to immediately analyze the volatilized sulfide compounds. All of the Chinese drywall samples tested positive for sulfur. This means that this type of analysis can be used to show that drywall containing corrosive sulfide compounds can be positively identified as Chinese drywall

Improving hypertension control through a collaboration between an academic medical center and a chain community pharmacy

IntroductionApproximately one-third of adults in the United States have hypertension (HTN), leading to increased morbidity and mortality.ObjectivesThis quality improvement intervention was designed to improve HTN control among community-dwelling adults through collaboration between patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) within an academic medical center and chain community pharmacies.MethodsFour PCMH sites in Ann Arbor, Michigan that were in close proximity to two Meijer pharmacies participated in this study between September 2016 and March 2017, which compared HTN outcomes for patients seen at two community pharmacies where the pharmacists received training on HTN management for patients who received usual care at their PCMH. The primary outcome was percent of patients who met their blood pressure (BP) goal of either <140/90-mmHg or-<-150/90-mmHg compared with matched controls who received usual care at the PCMH. Secondary outcomes included number of medication recommendations made, percent of recommendations accepted by the primary care provider (PCP), and patient satisfaction.ResultsPatients who received care at the community pharmacy (n = 155) had a higher rate of BP control at 3-months than matched controls (61.8% vs 47.7%, P = 0.013). A total of 29 medication recommendations were made by community pharmacists and 26 were accepted by the PCP. Nearly 95% of patients rated the care they received as excellent or very good and over 95% stated that they would recommend the pharmacist at the Meijer pharmacy to their family and friends.ConclusionPatients who received HTN management services as part of a collaboration between an academic medical center and chain community pharmacy were significantly more likely to have controlled BP at 3-months compared with matched controls who received standard care. This model shows promise as being a strategy to expand access to care for patients while being mutually beneficial for community pharmacies and health systems.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151336/1/jac51158_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151336/2/jac51158.pd

Identification of Lck-derived peptides applicable to anti-cancer vaccine for patients with human leukocyte antigen-A3 supertype alleles

The identification of peptide vaccine candidates to date has been focused on human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 and -A24 alleles. In this study, we attempted to identify cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-directed Lck-derived peptides applicable to HLA-A11+, -A31+, or -A33+ cancer patients, because these HLA-A alleles share binding motifs, designated HLA-A3 supertype alleles, and because the Lck is preferentially expressed in metastatic cancer. Twenty-one Lck-derived peptides were prepared based on the binding motif to the HLA-A3 supertype alleles. They were first screened for their recognisability by immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the plasma of prostate cancer patients, and the selected candidates were subsequently tested for their potential to induce peptide-specific CTLs from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HLA-A3 supertype+ cancer patients. As a result, four Lck peptides were frequently recognised by IgGs, and three of them – Lck90−99, Lck449−458, and Lck450−458 – efficiently induced peptide-specific and cancer-reactive CTLs. Their cytotoxicity towards cancer cells was mainly ascribed to HLA class I-restricted and peptide-specific CD8+ T cells. These results indicate that these three Lck peptides are applicable to HLA-A3 supertype+ cancer patients, especially those with metastasis. This information could facilitate the development of peptide-based anti-cancer vaccine for patients with alleles other than HLA-A2 and -A24

A multi-targeted approach to suppress tumor-promoting inflammation

Cancers harbor significant genetic heterogeneity and patterns of relapse following many therapies are due to evolved resistance to treatment. While efforts have been made to combine targeted therapies, significant levels of toxicity have stymied efforts to effectively treat cancer with multi-drug combinations using currently approved therapeutics. We discuss the relationship between tumor-promoting inflammation and cancer as part of a larger effort to develop a broad-spectrum therapeutic approach aimed at a wide range of targets to address this heterogeneity. Specifically, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, cyclooxygenase-2, transcription factor nuclear factor-κB, tumor necrosis factor alpha, inducible nitric oxide synthase, protein kinase B, and CXC chemokines are reviewed as important antiinflammatory targets while curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, lycopene, and anthocyanins are reviewed as low-cost, low toxicity means by which these targets might all be reached simultaneously. Future translational work will need to assess the resulting synergies of rationally designed antiinflammatory mixtures (employing low-toxicity constituents), and then combine this with similar approaches targeting the most important pathways across the range of cancer hallmark phenotypes

UW Dawgstar: One Third of ION-F - An element of the Ionospheric Observation Nanosatellite Formation (ION-F)

The preliminary design for the UW Dawgstar nanosatellite is presented. The Dawgstar is a 13 kg satellite designed as a part of the University Nanosatellite Program funded by AFOSR, DARPA, AFRL, and NASA. The goal of this two-year program is to design, build, and fly nanosatellites. The mission overview is detailed, including the coupling with the University partners Utah State and Virginia Tech in the Ionospheric Observation Nanosatellite Formation (ION-F). The mission includes several formations and formation keeping experiments, and distributed ionospheric measurements. Each of the subsystems is also detailed, including the design and integration of eight miniature pulsed plasma thrusters for attitude control and formation flying