243 research outputs found
Women’s lived experiences of their partners’ referral to a men’s behaviour change program : a feminist interpretative phenomenological analysis
Family violence (FV) is a significant social issue across Australia, where one woman is murdered by her current or former partner every week (State Government of Victoria, 2020). In an effort to increase the safety of women and children living in the state of Victoria, perpetrators of FV are routinely referred to a group intervention known as a Men’s Behaviour Change Program (MBCP). This research study sought to lay a foundation for understanding how women experience their partners’ referral to an MBCP, while exploring the meaning they ascribe to such an experience. At a fundamental level, the study aimed to elevate the voices of women and to contextualise their experiences. It was anticipated that this study would illuminate the profound insights of women regarding their experiences of such referrals, which have not been previously considered or acknowledged as being important. Nine women living in the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, took part in this community-based research project, which was designed in collaboration with industry partners. Each woman engaged in a qualitative interview that was underpinned by the emergent methodology of feminist interpretative phenomenological analysis. Consequently, these interviews focused on the women’s thoughts, feelings and interpretations of the referral experience. Through analysis and discussion of the women’s narratives, referral to an MBCP was shown to have involved experiences of significant meaning, depth and consequence for victim survivors – clearly demonstrating an effect beyond perpetrator engagement with an MBCP. The findings from this study have revealed the way in which MBCP referrals fashion a new environment for victim survivors. It is an environment characterised by heightened hopes of change, experiences of being blamed and judged by external parties and includes a rising sense of indignation. This form of referral has also been exposed to be a period of pivotal assessment for victim survivors, and at a fundamental level, as an event in and of itself. The new understandings achieved through this study provide a foundation on which FV services, researchers and policymakers can now build. This study has also reinforced the notion that in order to be effective, FV services must be informed by the knowledge and experiences of the people who are most affected by those services.Doctor of Philosoph
ASO Author Reflection: Learning Curves in Robotic Partial Nephrectomy-Not Only the Surgeon Counts
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Identification and characterization of a novel type of annexin-membrane interaction: Ca2+ is not required for the association of annexin II with early endosomes
Last Resort from Nursing Shortage? Comparative Cost Analysis of Open vs. Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomies with a Focus on the Costs of Nursing Care
Despite perioperative advantages, robot-assisted surgery is associated with high costs.
However, the lower morbidity of robotic surgery could lead to a lower nursing workload and cost
savings. In this comparative cost analysis of open retroperitoneal versus robot-assisted transperitoneal partial nephrectomies (PN), these possible cost savings, including other cost factors, were
quantified. Therefore, patient, tumor characteristics, and surgical results of all PN within two years
at a tertiary referral center were retrospectively analyzed. The nursing effort was quantified by the
local nursing staff regulation and INPULS® intensive care and performance-recording system. Out of
259 procedures, 76.4% were performed robotically. After propensity score matching, the median total
nursing time (2407.8 vs. 1126.8 min, p < 0.001) and daily nursing effort (245.7 vs. 222.6 min, p = 0.025)
were significantly lower after robotic surgery. This resulted in mean savings of EUR 186.48 in nursing
costs per robotic case, in addition to savings of EUR 61.76 due to less frequent administrations of
erythrocyte concentrates. These savings did not amortize the higher material costs for the robotic
system, causing additional expenses of EUR 1311.98 per case. To conclude, the nursing effort after
a robotic partial nephrectomy was significantly lower compared to open surgery; however, this
previously unnoticed savings mechanism alone could not amortize the overall increased costs
Characterization of CD147, CA9, and CD70 as Tumor-Specific Markers on Extracellular Vesicles in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted by healthy and tumor cells and are involved in
cell–cell communication. Tumor-released EVs could represent a new class of biomarkers from liquid
biopsies. The aim of this study was to identify tumor-specific EV markers in clear cell renal carcinoma
(ccRCC) using cell lines and patient-derived tissue samples. EVs from ccRCC cell lines (786-O, RCC53,
Caki1, and Caki2) and patient tissues were isolated via ultracentrifugation. EVs were characterized
using transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and Western blotting using
exosome and putative tumor markers (epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), carbonic anhydrase
9 (CA9), CD70, CD147). The tumor markers were verified using immunohistochemistry. CA9 was
expressed in Caki2 cells and EVs, and CD147 was found in the cells and EVs of all tested ccRCC cell
lines. In tumor tissues, we found an increased expression of CA9, CD70, and CD147 were increased
in cell lysates and EV fractions compared to normal tissues. In contrast, EpCAM was heterogeneously
expressed in tumor samples and positive in normal tissue. To conclude, we developed an effective
technique to isolate EVs directly from human tissue samples with high purity and high concentration.
In contrast to EpCAM, CA9, CD70, and CD147 could represent promising markers to identify
tumor-specific EVs in ccRCC
Picosecond pump pulses probe the relevance of hot electrons for the laser-induced phase transition in FeRh
Recent ultrafast photoemission experiments showed signatures of an ultrafast
modification of the electronic band structure in FeRh indicative of a
ferromagnetic (FM) state that is initiated by a non-equilibrium occupation of
the electronic states upon femtosecond laser excitation. We use ultrafast x-ray
diffraction to examine the impact of hot electrons on the antiferromagnetic
(AFM) to FM phase transition. By increasing the pump-pulse duration up to
, we eliminate hot electrons and see that the nucleation of FM
domains still proceeds at the intrinsic timescale of , which
starts when the deposited energy surpasses the threshold energy. For long
pulses, the phase transition proceeds considerably faster than predicted by a
convolution of the dynamics observed for ultrafast excitation with the long
pump pulse duration. We predict that quite generally, slow photoexcitation can
result in a fast response, if the non-linear threshold behavior of a
first-order phase transition is involved
Organ-Specific Uptake of Extracellular Vesicles Secreted by Urological Cancer Cells
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by cancer cells have been shown to take a pivotal part
in the process of local and systemic tumor progression by promoting the formation of a supportive
local tumor microenvironment and preparing premetastatic niches in distant organ systems. In
this study, we analyzed the organ-specific uptake of EVs secreted by urological cancer cells using
an innovative in-vivo approach. EVs from benign and malignant prostate, kidney, and bladder
cells were isolated using ultracentrifugation, fluorescence-labeled and injected intravenously in
immunodeficient mice. After 12 or 24 h, the animals were sacrificed, their organs were harvested
and analyzed for the presence of EVs by high-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Across all entities,
EVs were taken up fast (12 h > 24 h), and EVs from malignant cells were taken up more efficiently
than EVs from benign cells. Though not entirely organ-specific, EVs were incorporated in different
amounts, depending on the entity (prostate: lung > liver > brain; kidney: brain > lung > liver; bladder:
lung > liver > brain). EV uptake in other organs than lung, liver, brain, and spleen was not observed.
Our results suggest a role of EVs in the formation of premetastatic niches and an organotropism in
EV uptake, which have to be examined in more detail in further studies
Primary Tumor Resection Decelerates Disease Progression in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Radical prostatectomy in oligometastatic prostate cancer is a matter of intense debate.
Besides avoiding local complications, it is hypothesized that primary tumor resection may result
in better oncological outcomes. The aim of our study was to analyze the effect of primary tumor
resection on disease progression in an orthotopic prostate cancer mouse model. First, the optimal
time point for primary tumor resection, when metastases have already occurred, but the primary
tumor is still resectable, was determined as 8 weeks after inoculation of 5 Ă— 105 LuCaP136 cells. In a
second in vivo experiment, 64 mice with metastatic prostate cancer were randomized into two groups,
primary tumor resection or sham operation, and disease progression was followed up for 10 weeks.
The technique of orthotopic primary tumor resection was successfully established. Compared with
the sham operation group, mice with primary tumor resection showed a significantly longer survival
(p < 0.001), a significantly slower PSA increase (p < 0.01), and a lower number of lung metastases
(p = 0.073). In conclusion, primary tumor resection resulted in slower disease progression and longer
survival in an orthotopic mouse model of metastatic prostate cancer. In future studies, this model will
be used to unravel the molecular mechanisms of primary tumor/metastasis interaction in prostate
cancer
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