MS-089: Yarnell Collection

The Yarnell Collection consists of correspondence received by Orpha Yarnell during World War II from both of her sons, Clyde and Glenn. Clyde served with the 493rd Quartermaster Depot, and the letter from overseas, his training at Camp Harahan, and his stay in Camp Stoneman. Glenn served with the 186th Engineer Combat Battalion, originating from Fort Jackson, Camp Forrest, and New Guinea.https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/findingaidsall/1081/thumbnail.jp

Cytokine disbalance in common human cancers

AbstractInterleukin (IL)-6, -4, and -8 levels have been elevated in most patients suffering from prostate, breast, or colon cancer. There is a large body of evidence suggesting that chronic inflammation is one of the etiologic factors in these tumors. IL-6 is a multifunctional cytokine which is known to influence proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis in cancer. Its transcription factor STAT3 is known as an oncogene that is constitutively phosphorylated in these malignancies. However, IL-6-induced STAT3 phosphorylation may result in growth arrest. IL-6 activation of androgen receptor in prostate cancer may yield either tumor cell proliferation or differentiation. Prolonged treatment with IL-6 results in generation of sublines which express a more malignant phenotype. Therapy options against IL-6 have been established and the antibody siltuximab has been applied in preclinical and clinical studies. Recently, investigations of the role of suppressors of cytokine signaling have been carried out. IL-4 and -8 are implicated in regulation of apoptosis, migration, and angiogenesis in cancers associated with chronic inflammation. All cytokines mentioned above regulate cellular events in stem cells. These cells could not be targeted by most conventional cancer therapies

From Morisky to Hill-Bone; Self-reports Scales for Measuring Adherence to Medication

There are a number of approaches to studying medication-taking behavior. Self-report measures that have the benefits of being cheap, easy to administer, non-intrusive, and able to provide information on attitudes and beliefs about medication. Potential limitations to self-report are that ability to understand the items, and willingness to disclose information, can affect response accuracy and thus questionnaire validity. A computerized systematic search of the PubMed databases identified articles on scales for medication adherence measuring using the MeSH terms medication adherence, compliance, and persistence combined with the terms questionnaire self-report. Adherence scales are identified mostly in the last few years (2005-2012). One of the main sources was article (Lavsa et. al) which evaluated literature describing medication adherence surveys/scales to gauge patient behaviors at the point of care. Articles were included if they evaluated or reviewed self-reported adherence medication scale applicable at chronic diseases and with good coefficient of internal consistency reliability (Cronbach\u27s α (alpha). Articles that contained data about self-report medication adherence scales use were included. A total of about hundred articles were identified. Of the articles, 20% (20 of 100) were included in the review because of their relevance to the article topic. This article describes various self-report scales by which to monitor medication adherence, their advantages and disadvantages, and discusses the effectiveness of their application at different chronic diseases. There are many self-report scales for measuring medication adherence and their derivatives (or subscales). Due to the different nature of the diseases, there is no gold-standard scale for measuring medication adherence. It can be nevertheless concluded that the nearest to gold-standard is a Medication Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ) scale by Morisky et.al

From Morisky to Hill-Bone; Self-reports Scales for Measuring Adherence to Medication

There are a number of approaches to studying medication-taking behavior. Self-report measures that have the benefits of being cheap, easy to administer, non-intrusive, and able to provide information on attitudes and beliefs about medication. Potential limitations to self-report are that ability to understand the items, and willingness to disclose information, can affect response accuracy and thus questionnaire validity. A computerized systematic search of the PubMed databases identified articles on scales for medication adherence measuring using the MeSH terms medication adherence, compliance, and persistence combined with the terms questionnaire self-report. Adherence scales are identified mostly in the last few years (2005-2012). One of the main sources was article (Lavsa et. al) which evaluated literature describing medication adherence surveys/scales to gauge patient behaviors at the point of care. Articles were included if they evaluated or reviewed self-reported adherence medication scale applicable at chronic diseases and with good coefficient of internal consistency reliability (Cronbach\u27s α (alpha). Articles that contained data about self-report medication adherence scales use were included. A total of about hundred articles were identified. Of the articles, 20% (20 of 100) were included in the review because of their relevance to the article topic. This article describes various self-report scales by which to monitor medication adherence, their advantages and disadvantages, and discusses the effectiveness of their application at different chronic diseases. There are many self-report scales for measuring medication adherence and their derivatives (or subscales). Due to the different nature of the diseases, there is no gold-standard scale for measuring medication adherence. It can be nevertheless concluded that the nearest to gold-standard is a Medication Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ) scale by Morisky et.al

SOCS3 (suppressor of cytokine signaling 3)

Review on SOCS3 (suppressor of cytokine signaling 3), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated

Vitamin, mineral and iron supplementation in pregnancy: cross-sectional study

Aim. To assess the use of vitamin, mineral and iron supplements during pregnancy in Zagreb and Novi Sad. Methods. The study was conducted by use of a structured standardized questionnaire consisting of two parts, i. e. data obtained by maternal interview and hospital records. It is designed as a cross-sectional study in two countries (Croatia and Serbia). The study included 893 pregnant women from Zagreb and 6099 pregnant women from Novi Sad. Results. In Zagreb, pregnant women reported highest utilization of vitamin-mineral supplements (n = 508; 56.9 %), whereas in Novi Sad these supplements ranked third (n = 408; 20.3 %), following tocolytics and iron supplements. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of congenital malformations between neonates at in utero exposure to vitamins, minerals and iron supplements and those without such exposure in either Zagreb or Novi Sad arm, with the exception of iron and calcium supplementation in the Zagreb arm. Conclusions. In spite of certain study limitations, the results obtained pointed to the unreasonable and potentially harmful use of these supplements in pregnant women from Zagreb

Classification and Profiles of Students Based on Their Motivations Concerning Higher Education

Cluster analysis was used to create segments of high school graduates based on their motivations/opinions regarding their future education. Data for this study were collected using a questionnaire distributed to high school graduates following State Matura exam. The students were asked to evaluate the importance of 13 different reasons/causes for choosing the faculty selected as their first choice. The analysis yielded five meaningful clusters of students that differ not only in motivations, but also in achievement on State Matura exams and in their preference regarding the scientific field of their future study