Radiosensitization of prostate cancer cells by 2-deoxyglucose

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy of men. Treatment options include radiotherapy with or without hormonal manipulation and radical prostatectomy. However, there is no effective treatment for disseminated disease. A hallmark of malignancy is abnormal metabolism which also confers survival advantages and contributes to resistance to therapy. In response to exposure to ionizing radiation, metabolic pathways are activated which can protect the cell from irreversible injury. Tumor cell glycolytic activity is elevated and correlates with aggressiveness and radio resistance, indicating that targeting glucose metabolism may sensitize cancer cells to radiation. We have demonstrated that the clonogenic kill of PC3 cells induced by exposure to x-rays was enhanced by the glycolytic inhibitor 2-deoxyglucose (2DG). In contrast, treatment with 2DG failed to inhibit growth of multicellular spheroids derived from LNCaP cells. However, 2DG treatment, in the absence of irradiation, induced similar toxicity to PC3 and LNCaP cells cultured as monolayers. Radiation-induced cell cycle arrest was prevented by the simultaneous administration of 2DG in both cell lines, indicating a possible mechanism underlying sensitization. Therefore, we hypothesise that observed differences in cellular response to incubation with 2DG in the presence or absence of ionizing radiation resulted from variation in metabolic processes between tumor cell types. We conclude that inhibition of glucose metabolism by 2DG is an effective method for sensitizing prostate cancer cells to experimental radiotherapy and that this may occur by preventing DNA repair during radiation-induced cell cycle arrest

ICTUS OR REBOUND? THE EXPERIENCE OF BEHIND-THE-BEAT PLAYING IN ORCHESTRAL CONDUCTING

The origin of playing behind-the-beat is attributed to the Hungarian conductor Arthur Nikisch (1855-1922), who is one of the most important figures in the history of the art of conducting. Nikisch, serving as Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra during a critical moment in the development of orchestral playing, influenced a generation of conductors who followed. Behind-the-beat playing, as many conductors and musicians refer to in describing experiences of top professional orchestral musicians, is a prevailing characteristic of theirs, not often observed in amateur orchestras and their conductors. It is an idea that is opposed to the notion of “time-beating,” which has come to have a negative connotation as not constituting expressive musicianship. “Time-beating” conveys that the conductor is emphasizing the beats (ictus). This kind of conducting describes ictus-focused-conducting, where one expects the sound to arrive exactly on the beat or on the ictus. In contradiction with this notion, behind-the-beat playing, evidenced in top professional orchestras and conductors, suggests that the sound happens behind the beat; after the ictus gesture of the conductor. This project argues that rebound-focused-conducting, as opposed to ictus-focused-conducting, allows and facilitates behind-the-beat playing, which is a natural and universal phenomenon in the highest-levels of orchestral music making. Through a thorough examination of conducting literature and empirical studies, this project reveals that propensity for rebound-focused-conducting will yield many benefits for an orchestra. In any level of conducting, understanding and application of the behind-the-beat concept will facilitate organic communication with the orchestra, smoother musical connections, more flow, warmer tone production, and more mature and organic phrasing. Further study on the relationship between conducting gesture and sound response will contribute to this mysterious and under-discussed field. A deeper investigation of this relationship may be able to answer, for example, why in different circumstances the degree of “behind-the-beat” playing increases or decreases

Possible application of budo martial arts to deal with agression at school

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Probing the mechanical properties of soft and hard biomaterials: polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micropillars and alligator teeth

Mechanical properties are essential to quantitatively characterize materials\u27 intrinsic properties ranging from soft to rigid scales. It can effectively facilitate optimal material selection corresponding to their practical applications. Unlike mesoscale, microscale mechanical properties measure localized structural and fundamental components, which is especially superior for assessing materials with hierarchical or ultrastructural properties. This study aims to characterize localized mechanical properties of soft and hard materials: engineering polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micropillars and alligator teeth. The stiffness of PDMS pillar arrays is designed by the solvent-casting method, a raw input parameter to calculate the twitch force of cardiac microtissues. The microstructure-associated mechanical properties of alligator teeth will provide crucial information on designing abrasion-resistant toughening materials. Nanoindentation tests were conducted using 50 µm conospherical and 100 nm Berkovich probes. An endoscope camera was used to detect probe-surface contact and capture the indentation process. Hertz and Oliver-Pharr models were applied to analyze stiffness and elastic modulus. The results demonstrated the stiffness of micropillars was 3.4 – 5.45 N/m. It also indicated a high structural-mechanical relationship for alligator teeth samples. This study reveals the fundamental role of the nanoindentation technique in reviewing micromechanical properties and localized deformation behavior

The Socio – Economic Potential of Railway Services from Tema Port on Indigenous Ghanaian Road Haulage

A synopsis forecasting the ‘repercussions of active railway services from the Tema seaport of Ghana - on the indigenous road haulage industry’ was created in 2009.  This was with full knowledge that rail haulage services though non-existent, were inevitable if the port was to realize appreciable levels of efficiency in support of supply chains through the Sub-region. The study, which is still relevant today, assessed the views of stakeholders’ in road haulage with regards to ‘the level of awareness of the potential competition from an operational railway sector, the potential impacts on their businesses and ways of reducing negative impacts if any’.  It was evident that a fully operational railway services would yield significant negative direct, indirect and induced impacts on the indigenous road haulage industry in the short to medium term. The level of awareness of these was quite low amongst the indigenous Ghanaian stakeholders. Few indigenous operators vouched to resort to crime if they lost their livelihoods.  It was noted with interest, that members of the road haulage industry could somehow contribute funding in support of a future rail haulage industry, which could result in win - win situations for all relevant stakeholders.  This was on the backdrop that national policies offering opportunities for indigenous road haulers are instituted and the necessary education on global trends with ‘multimodal transport’ given them.  Such opportunities could increase their relevance as well as their comparative and competitive advantage as partakers in international logistics services. Keywords: Indigenous Ghanaian Road Haulage Industry , potential impact, logistics, Multimodal Transport Operatio

Future Orientation of Marketing Management for Sustainable National Development, A Case of Ghana’s Tema Port

Maritime Ports have played vital roles in the development of many economies in the world; from merely providing shelter for ships through to becoming complete logistics platforms for international trade. Notwithstanding, the importance of ports with regards to national objectives evolved at varied paces in various economies of the world as they competed to serve international trade and shipping.  Those variations impacted the choice of ownership and management of the facilities.  GHPA, Ghana opted for the Landlord model of ownership to enhance its competitive edge in the West African sub- region. But that move appeared to result in the ineffectiveness of the Marketing Department of the Tema Port in pursuing the national objectives.  A new focus for marketing management of the Tema Port, which could facilitate the realization of Ghana’s national objectives, was researched into.  Conclusions were that the marketing department of the Tema Port may have to move beyond serving their direct customers to pursuing additional objectives which may not be directly related to port business in the short term.  Such moves could stimulate the growth of local industries from which the port can eventually create niche businesses in the medium to long term.  For example, support for tropical fruit production, can lead to fruit processing, packaging, storage and then exporting by and through the port.  Such a move could also create the much needed employment, State revenue and improved living standards in Ghana. Keywords: Maritime port marketing, Ghana’s Port, National developmen