Objective
Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) is a protein that is produced and secreted by a significant number of breast cancers. However, a potential confounder to the use of AKR1B10 ...as a tumor marker is its elevation in patients given cytotoxic chemotherapy. We therefore conducted a prospective study to analyze AKR1B10 levels in patients with breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy.
Methods
The study enrolled 10 patients from November 2015 to July 2017. All patients had locally advanced, but non-metastatic, breast cancer, and they received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery. Serum AKR1B10 levels and tumor imaging were assessed before, during, and after chemotherapy.
Results
No increase in serum AKR1B10 levels was noted in patients receiving chemotherapy whose levels were elevated at diagnosis.
Conclusion
The findings are complex, but the overall data suggest that AKR1B10 is suitable as a tumor marker in patients with elevated levels at the time of diagnosis.
In order to determine how emotions and cognition are experienced during collaborative group work online students' descriptions of their learning experience were interpreted using a qualitative ...approach. A common feature of these accounts was reference to difficulties and problems. Four main themes were identified from this data set. Two of the themes, ‘Constraints on autonomy’ and ‘Reflections about collaboration’, encapsulate the experience of engaging in group work. The other two themes ‘Virtual others’ and ‘Communicating online’. The ‘impact on progress and achievement’ provide some insight into what is unique about the socio-emotional experience of collaborating online and how it can influence motivation and learning. The findings were considered from two perspectives of the role of emotion in learning: the socio-cognitive model of self-regulated learning and the community of inquiry framework (COI). An interdisciplinary approach was adopted by taking into account recent research in social cognitive neuroscience. Some practical recommendations about the deployment of technologies for group work online and for empowering students' understanding of the value of collaborative learning are made. The value of verbal immediacy practices as a way of counteracting the disembodied nature of the relational experience of others online is discussed.
► A qualitative analysis of unsolicited student accounts of group work online. ► Group work is identified as a source of emotion. ► The sources of emotion that are unique to group work online were also identified. ► An interdisciplinary approach to interpreting the findings was adopted. ► Some recommendations for the design and practice of group work online are made.
Aldo-keto reductase 1B10 (AKR1B10) is a secretory protein that is upregulated in breast cancer.
This case-controlled pilot study evaluated the serum level of AKR1B10 in healthy women and patients ...with a localized or metastatic breast cancer.
AKR1B10 levels were measured by ELISA and IHC in several patient cohorts.
Our data showed that serum AKR1B10 was significantly elevated in patients with localized (6.72 ± 0.92 ng/ml) or metastatic (7.79 ± 1.13 ng/ml) disease compared to cancer-free healthy women (1.69 ± 0.17 ng/ml) (p<0.001); the serum AKR1B10 was correlated with its expression in tumor tissues, but not with the tumor burden, molecular subtypes or histological stages. After surgical removal of primary tumors, the serum AKR1B10 was rapidly decreased within 3 days and plateaued at a level similar to that of healthy controls in most patients. ROC curve analysis suggested the optimal diagnostic cut-off value of serum AKR1B10 at 3.456 ng/ml with AUC 0.9045 ± 0.0337 (95% CI 0.8384 - 0.9706), sensitivity 84.75% (95% CI 73.01% to 92.78%), and specificity 93.88% (95% CI 83.13% to 98.72%).
These data indicate the potential value of serum AKR1B10 as a biomarker of breast cancer.
Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the most common type of gynecologic malignant epithelial tumor, with the death rate from this disease doubling over the past 20 years. Mitochondria provide cancer cells ...with necessary anabolic building blocks such as amino acids, lipids, and nucleotides, and EC samples have been shown to increase mitochondrial biogenesis. In cancer, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) heteroplasmy studies suggest that heteroplasmic variants encode predicted pathogenic proteins. We investigated the mtDNA genotypes within peri-normal and tumor specimens obtained from three individuals diagnosed with EC. DNA extracts from peri-normal and tumor tissues were used for mtDNA-specific next-generation sequencing and analyses of mtDNA content and topoisomers. The three tumors harbor heteroplasmic somatic mutations, and at least one mutation in each carcinoma is predicted to deleteriously alter a mtDNA-encoded protein. Somatic heteroplasmy linked to two mtDNA tRNA genes was found in separate tumors, and two heteroplasmic non-coding variants were identified in a single EC tumor. While two tumors had altered mtDNA content, all three displayed increased mtDNA catenanes. Our findings support that EC cells require wild-type mtDNA, but heteroplasmic mutations may alter mitochondrial metabolism to help promote cancer cell growth and proliferation.
editor's message Robinson, Kathy
Canadian music educator,
09/2021, Volume:
63, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Jennifer Walden in her 2014 CMEA journal article entitled Cultural Diversity in Canadian Music Curricula and Resistance to Change found that among K-12 music teachers in Calgary, AB who were given ...license to visualize a new curriculum without restriction, teachers identified some areas of the current 1989 music curriculum (Alberta, 1989) that could be improved, but were generally pleased with it. Canadian music teacher preparation programs have been and are still predominantly Eurocentric, based on reading and writing staff notation and filled with band, orchestra and choral performance ensembles. The lens through which we, music educators, see the world of music is shaped by music experiences from our childhood, from our communities and from our music teacher education programs. Deanna Yerichuk's article, Awakened to Racial Justice: Music Educator Responses to The Gahu Project, explores changes in music teacher lenses following participation with their high school students in a project combining sessions on racial justice with learning the Ghanaian Ewe social dance Gahu and performing the dance with more than 300 others led by master drummer Kwasi Dunyo and a West African community drum dance ensemble.
Primary human mammary epithelial cells have a limited life span which makes it difficult to study them in vitro for most purposes. To overcome this problem, we have developed a cell line that was ...immortalized using defined genetic elements, and we have characterized this immortalized non-tumorigenic human mammary epithelial cell line to establish it as a potential model system. human mammary epithelial cells were obtained from a healthy individual undergoing reduction mammoplasty at SIU School of Medicine. The cells were transduced with CDK4R24C followed by transduction with human telomerase reverse transcriptase. Post all manipulation, the cells displayed a normal cell cycle phase distribution and were near diploid in nature, which was confirmed by flow cytometry and karyotyping. In vitro studies showed that the cells were anchorage dependent and were non-invasive in nature. The cell line expressed basal epithelial markers such as cytokeratin 7, CD10, and p63 and was negative for the expression of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor. Upon G-band karyotyping, the cell line displayed the presence of a few cytogenic abnormalities, including trisomy 20 and trisomy 7, which are also commonly present in other immortalized mammary cell lines. Furthermore, the benign nature of these cells was confirmed by multiple in vitro and in vivo experiments. Therefore, we think that this cell line could serve as a good model to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the development and progression of breast cancer and to also assess the effect of novel therapeutics on human mammary epithelial cells.
The purposes of this educational activity were to instill in students a greater empathy for patients with intellectual developmental disabilities, give students a better understanding of how to ...obtain a medical history for patients with communication limitations, teach students practical tips for obtaining a medical history and physical examination to increase competence in their future practice, and to build a relationship with a local organization that serves people with intellectual disabilities. An experiential learning activity was added to the curriculum of two courses for first-year PA students to accomplish these goals. The course instructors engaged in several planning meetings with a local residential facility for people with intellectual disabilities, including choosing patients that the students would assess. The students made 3 visits to the facility. The visits included interactive lectures by a physical therapist, occupational therapist, nurse practitioner, medical doctor, and dentist. Two of the facility involved patient visits at designated homes on campus. The students then wrote comprehensive visit notes with patient identifying information removed and submitted them for grading. Students expressed feeling better prepared to assess people with intellectual disabilities and having an increased appreciation for obtaining quality medical histories. The partner facility also reported they received positive feedback from staff participants and indicated they would like to continue this partnership.
Workplace violence is a growing concern among health care workers, especially staff working in emergency departments. Emergency department leaders have oversight accountability that includes ...mitigation of workplace violence risks and staff education related to workplace violence prevention. Challenges associated with workplace violence events include disruption of safe patient care, decreased staff job satisfaction, and increased turnover. Improving safety for staff, patients, and visitors requires a culture focused on safety. A summary of current regulations, standards, and resources available to date is provided, including a list of mitigation strategies that can be easily translated into practice by emergency nurse leaders.
Podcasts are not for everyone Kazlauskas, Alanah; Robinson, Kathy
British journal of educational technology,
03/2012, Volume:
43, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Twenty‐first century students are expected to utilise emerging technologies such as lecture podcasts as learning tools. This research explored the uptake of podcasts by undergraduate students ...enrolled in two very different cognitively challenging subjects in the second year of the nursing programme and in the first year of a business programme. Regardless of the semester, the different content being studied and the statistically significant demographic differences between the nursing and business cohorts, striking behavioural similarities emerged. Students from both cohorts in each semester under investigation spent similar amounts of time studying regardless of gender, age, Internet access and time spent on paid work. The patterns of podcast usage by responding nursing and business students were not significantly different. Non‐listeners in both cohorts did not differ significantly from podcast users (listeners) either demographically or with regard to personal access to computers, the Internet and MP3/4 players. Non‐listeners utilised lecture notes, text resources and the learning management system in a similar way to listeners. The only significant difference was the longer hours spent in paid work by non‐listeners.
These findings reinforce the emerging concept that podcasts are not embraced by everyone. Despite the flexibility and mobile learning opportunities afforded by podcasts, significant numbers of students prefer to learn in face‐to‐face environments and by reading and/or listening in set study environments.
Résumé : Les musiciens éducateurs de partout dans le monde doivent offrir un programme d'éducation musicale plus mondialisé en raison de la diversité croissante des élèves, des mandats relatifs aux ...programmes d'études ou des initiatives sociétales. Cet article examine les défis de huit musiciens éducateurs au Canada et en Chine, alors qu'ils tentent d'enseigner un programme de musique plus mondialisé à leurs élèves des écoles publiques. Par le biais d'entrevues semi-structurées, quatre enseignants de Shandong, en Chine, et quatre enseignants de l'Alberta, au Canada, ont participé à cette étude. Les défis identifiés touchent à la fois les aspects contraignant et libre de leurs programmes d'études, puis l'accessibilité aux ressources disponibles en musique du monde ainsi qu'au développement professionnel, notamment le temps et le financement nécessaires.
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