A Microdebitage Analysis of the Winterville Mounds Site (22WS500)

The Winterville Mounds site (22WS500) was a civic ceremonial center of 23 mounds and is located near Greenville in northwest Mississippi. Winterville excavations as field schools are ongoing since 2005 under the direction of Dr. H. Edwin Jackson of The University of Southern Mississippi. Examination of the \u3e1/4 (6.35 mm) mesh screened lithic material provided mixed results of reduction stages and lacked variety of non-local materials (Guest 2006, Winter 2009, McClendon 2012). Authors of these analyses called for the examination of the 1/16” (1.58 mm) water-screened lithic material to identify reduction stages and traces of non-local materials to provide evidence of outside trade. I analyzed the microdebitage from the non-elite residential location of Area A and the elite locale of Mound C to discern variations in accessibility to non-local lithic material to provide conclusive evidence of the sociopolitical organization once managed by Winterville’s elite. The microdebitage analysis validates previous interpretations that Winterville was managed via a corporate sociopolitical scheme, as there is no evidence that elites acquired sumptuary items for display. A wide variety of raw materials were uncovered, with few specimens represented for each variety. The microdebitage is likely the result of the re-sharpening and re-shaping of complete stone tools that were brought onto and eventually left the site. Radiocarbon dates along with artifactual evidence provides for an occupation of Mound C well into the Lake George phase, previously characterized as a time of occupational decline and eventual site abandonment (Brain 1989)

Barbecued sunrise

This essay argues for an expanded definition of the category of ‘Australian Literature’ by analysing work at its fringes: experimental literary translation by Australian, English-language, writers. While considerable attention has been given to translation as a mode of literary circulation and as a metaphor for an ethics of cross-cultural exchange, there has been little work done by proponents of World Literature on the linguistic problem of what happens in translation. By contrast, this essay develops a mode of close reading, via theories of transnationalism and translation, applied to two playful translations of Stéphane Mallarmé’s ‘Un coup de dés jamais n’abolira le hasard’ (1895) by Christopher Brennan (1897) and Chris Edwards (2005)

Self-Study on the Journey to Success of a Teacher With a Learning Disability

This self-study narrative sought to highlight the researcher’s educative and professional experiences as a teacher with learning disabilities (LDs) and the strategies she used to help her get to where she is today. This study examined: (a) specific strategies a teacher with LDs used in order to be successful in her teaching; (b) how the strategies were implemented and how they changed throughout the teacher’s LD learning journey; and (c) effective coping mechanisms a teacher with LDs used to overcome her weaknesses. Data were gathered through an examination of artifacts that included archival medical and school documents, critical reflection, stories, and an interview with the researcher’s mother. Four themes emerged from the data analyses: “School Struggles,” “Challenges Within Education,” “Supporters,” and “Strategies Leading to Success.” This study has brought forth a new perspective to the literature by exploring the lived experiences of a teacher with a LD and the contribution of others in her journey

Ensemble Concerts: Wind Symphony, April 25, 2010

Center for the Performing ArtsSunday AfternoonApril 25, 20103:00 p.m

Radiostereometric Evaluation of Tendon Elongation After Distal Biceps Repair.

BACKGROUND: Operative repair of distal biceps tendon ruptures has shown successful outcomes. However, little is known about the amount of tendon or repair site lengthening after repair. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate distal biceps tendon repair via intratendinous radiostereometric analysis to analyze tendon lengthening at different time intervals of healing. The hypothesis was that there is significant lengthening after repair. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: Eleven patients with distal biceps ruptures requiring operative repair were recruited. During repair, two 2-mm tantalum beads with laser-etched holes were sutured to the distal biceps tendon. Beads were evaluated via computed tomography scans immediately postoperatively and at 16 weeks. Radiographs were obtained at time 0 and then at 4, 8, and 16 weeks postoperatively. Measurements were made using the button-to-bead and bead-to-bead distances to assess repair site elongation as well as tendon elongation over time. After final follow-up, patients filled out the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire and underwent ultrasound to confirm the integrity of the tendon. RESULTS: Ten patients had complete ruptures, with 1 having a partial rupture that underwent completion of the tear and subsequent repair. All patients showed statistically significant lengthening after surgery. The mean amount of tendon lengthening after surgery was 22.8 mm (range, 11.2-30.9 mm; P \u3c .05), and the repair site lengthened a mean 17.0 mm (range, 9.6-30.6 mm; P \u3c .05) from surgery to final follow-up. The greatest change in lengthening was noted between time 0 and week 4 (mean, 11.3 mm; P \u3c .05), with the least amount of lengthening between weeks 8 and 16 (mean, 2.6 mm; P \u3c .05). The mean DASH score was 11.2. Final ultrasound evaluations found all tendons to be in continuity. CONCLUSION: All patients undergoing distal biceps tendon repair have significant elongation after surgery, with the greatest amount of lengthening seen in the early postoperative period

Targeting tumour re-wiring by triple blockade of mTORC1, epidermal growth factor, and oestrogen receptor signalling pathways in endocrine-resistant breast cancer

Background Endocrine therapies are the mainstay of treatment for oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive (ER+) breast cancer (BC). However, resistance remains problematic largely due to enhanced cross-talk between ER and growth factor pathways, circumventing the need for steroid hormones. Previously, we reported the anti-proliferative effect of everolimus (RAD001-mTORC1 inhibitor) with endocrine therapy in resistance models; however, potential routes of escape from treatment via ERBB2/3 signalling were observed. We hypothesised that combined targeting of three cellular nodes (ER, ERBB, and mTORC1) may provide enhanced long-term clinical utility. Methods A panel of ER+ BC cell lines adapted to long-term oestrogen deprivation (LTED) and expressing ESR1wt or ESR1Y537S, modelling acquired resistance to an aromatase-inhibitor (AI), were treated in vitro with a combination of RAD001 and neratinib (pan-ERBB inhibitor) in the presence or absence of oestradiol (E2), tamoxifen (4-OHT), or fulvestrant (ICI182780). End points included proliferation, cell signalling, cell cycle, and effect on ER-mediated transactivation. An in-vivo model of AI resistance was treated with monotherapies and combinations to assess the efficacy in delaying tumour progression. RNA-seq analysis was performed to identify changes in global gene expression as a result of the indicated therapies. Results Here, we show RAD001 and neratinib (pan-ERBB inhibitor) caused a concentration-dependent decrease in proliferation, irrespective of the ESR1 mutation status. The combination of either agent with endocrine therapy further reduced proliferation but the maximum effect was observed with a triple combination of RAD001, neratinib, and endocrine therapy. In the absence of oestrogen, RAD001 caused a reduction in ER-mediated transcription in the majority of the cell lines, which associated with a decrease in recruitment of ER to an oestrogen-response element on the TFF1 promoter. Contrastingly, neratinib increased both ER-mediated transactivation and ER recruitment, an effect reduced by the addition of RAD001. In-vivo analysis of an LTED model showed the triple combination of RAD001, neratinib, and fulvestrant was most effective at reducing tumour volume. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that the addition of neratinib negated the epidermal growth factor (EGF)/EGF receptor feedback loops associated with RAD001. Conclusions Our data support the combination of therapies targeting ERBB2/3 and mTORC1 signalling, together with fulvestrant, in patients who relapse on endocrine therapy and retain a functional ER

Recovering individual haplotypes and a contiguous genome assembly from pooled long-read sequencing of the diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae).

The assembly of divergent haplotypes using noisy long-read data presents a challenge to the reconstruction of haploid genome assemblies, due to overlapping distributions of technical sequencing error, intra-locus genetic variation and inter-locus similarity within these data. Here we present a comparative analysis of assembly algorithms representing overlap-layout-consensus, repeat graph and de Brujn graph methods. We examine how post-processing strategies attempting to reduce redundant heterozygosity interact with the choice of initial assembly algorithm and ultimately produce a series of chromosome-level assemblies for an agricultural pest, the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). We compare evaluation methods and show that BUSCO analyses may overestimate haplotig removal processing in long-read draft genomes, in comparison to a k-mer method. We discuss the trade-offs inherent in assembly algorithm and curation choices and suggest that "best practice" is research question dependent. We demonstrate a link between allelic divergence and allele-derived contig redundancy in final genome assemblies and document the patterns of coding and non-coding diversity between redundant sequences. We also document a link between an excess of non-synonymous polymorphism and haplotigs that are unresolved by assembly or post-assembly algorithms. Finally, we discuss how this phenomenon may have relevance for the usage of noisy long-read genome assemblies in comparative genomics

Collecting data for global surgical indicators: a collaborative approach in the Pacific region

© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. In 2015, the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS) recommended six surgical metrics to enable countries to measure their surgical and anaesthesia care delivery. These indicators have subsequently been accepted by the World Bank for inclusion in the World Development Indicators. With support from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Pacific Islands Surgical Association, 14 South Pacific countries collaborated to collect the first four of six LCoGS indicators. Thirteen countries collected all four indicators over a 6-month period from October 2015 to April 2016. Australia and New Zealand exceeded the recommended LCoGS target for all four indicators. Only 5 of 13 countries (38%) achieved 2-hour access for at least 80% of their population, with a range of 20% (Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands) to over 65% (Fiji and Samoa). Five of 13 (38%) countries met the target surgical volume of 5000 procedures per 100 000 population, with six performing less than 1600. Four of 14 (29%) countries had at least 20 surgical, anaesthesia and obstetric providers in their workforce per 100 000 population, with a range of 0.9 (Timor Leste) to 18.5 (Tuvalu). Perioperative mortality rate was reported by 13 of 14 countries, and ranged from 0.11% to 1.0%. We believe it is feasible to collect global surgery indicators across the South Pacific, a diverse geographical region encompassing high-income and low-income countries. Such metrics will allow direct comparison between similar nations, but more importantly provide baseline data that providers and politicians can use in advocacy national health planning

Modulation of Tcf7l2 Expression Alters Behavior in Mice

The comorbidity of type 2 diabetes (T2D) with several psychiatric diseases is well established. While environmental factors may partially account for these co-occurrences, common genetic susceptibilities could also be implicated in the confluence of these diseases. In support of shared genetic burdens, TCF7L2, the strongest genetic determinant for T2D risk in the human population, has been recently implicated in schizophrenia (SCZ) risk, suggesting that this may be one of many loci that pleiotropically influence both diseases. To investigate whether Tcf7l2 is involved in behavioral phenotypes in addition to its roles in glucose metabolism, we conducted several behavioral tests in mice with null alleles of Tcf7l2 or overexpressing Tcf7l2. We identified a role for Tcf7l2 in anxiety-like behavior and a dose-dependent effect of Tcf7l2 alleles on fear learning. None of the mutant mice showed differences in prepulse inhibition (PPI), which is a well-established endophenotype for SCZ. These results show that Tcf7l2 alters behavior in mice. Importantly, these differences are observed prior to the onset of detectable glucose metabolism abnormalities. Whether these differences are related to human anxiety-disorders or schizophrenia remains to be determined. These animal models have the potential to elucidate the molecular basis of psychiatric comorbidities in diabetes and should therefore be studied further