Biodiversity Informatics
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Metabolic Reprogramming in Prostate Cancer: The Roles of HOXB13 and FASN in Tumor Progression and Therapy
Get PDFMetabolic reprogramming, particularly lipid metabolism, is a hallmark of cancer progression and a critical vulnerability in prostate cancer (PCa). Two pivotal studies, one by Lu et al. and the other by Dairo et al., have illuminated the roles of HOXB13, a transcriptional regulator, and fatty acid synthase (FASN), a key enzyme in lipid biosynthesis, in the metabolic dysregulation of PCa. The Lu et al. study highlights HOXB13’s role in androgen receptor (AR)-independent PCa, where it regulates lipid metabolism via epigenetic mechanisms involving histone deacetylase HDAC3. A G84E mutation in HOXB13 disrupts this regulation, leading to increased lipid synthesis and a pro-metastatic phenotype. The Dairo et al. study demonstrates that FASN hypomethylation, coupled with increased expression, drives lipid biosynthesis critical for tumor growth. Both studies establish a link between HOXB13 mutations and FASN dysregulation, underscoring their interplay in PCa biology. Therapeutically, pharmacological inhibition of FASN mitigates the aggressive features of HOXB13-deficient or mutant PCa, highlighting lipid metabolism as a promising target. Despite their strengths, including robust methodologies, limitations include reliance on preclinical models and the need for broader patient diversity. These studies collectively emphasize the potential of metabolic and epigenetic interventions for precision medicine in PCa, paving the way for novel therapies targeting lipid metabolism in patients with specific genetic and epigenetic profiles
Dis-Articulating Ideological Norms in Jamaican HIV Reporting
Get PDFThe use of accurate terminology reflecting the reality of Jamaica\u27s HIV situation is needed to dis/articulate existing social stigmas. This study explores whether Jamaican journalists predominantly use stereotypical language in HIV reporting. This quantitative case study used 14 predefined coding categories from PAHO\u27s 2006 HIV-related Language Update - a Caribbean HIV-reporting media guide. This facilitated the use of content analysis to evaluate HIV-related stories before and after the publication of PAHO\u27s HIV reporting guide in two time periods: January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2005, and January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008. Jamaican journalists predominantly used 10 socially and medically problematic HIV-related terms. Through the application of the framing and agenda-setting theories, this study notes that these terms diminish attention from HIV; are socially outdated strategies; and ostracize, stereotype, and disrespect people with HIV. By spotlighting news production, this study underscores that dis/articulating existing stereotypical HIV reporting norms and language use in the Jamaican press must involve future research into newsroom dynamics
Hijxs de la memoria: (pos)dictadura, violencia de género y resistencia en el teatro chileno contemporáneo
No full textFirst record of Centris (Paracentris) lanosa (Apidae: Centridini) in Georgia, United States
Get PDFCentris (Paracentris) lanosa Cresson, the wooly oil-digger bee, is a specialized oil-collecting species associated with Krameria lanceolata (Torrey) (Krameriaceae). The species is known from two disjunct populations in the southeastern and southwestern United States, with southeastern records previously limited to northern Florida. Here, we report the first occurrence of C. lanosa in Georgia. On 13 May 2024, we collected a female specimen of C. lanosa in a blue vane trap located in a mixed pine-hardwood riparian buffer within privately owned timberland in Treutlen County, Georgia. This new record extends the known range of the species northward by more than 250 km
Improving Prophylactic Antibiotic Selection for Type 3 Open Fractures in the Trauma Setting
Get PDFIntroduction. The purpose of this quality improvement study was to implement a standardized prophylactic antibiotic protocol for type 3 open fractures and to evaluate changes in both subjective comfort and objective knowledge of open fracture management among trauma team personnel.Methods. A simplified protocol for antibiotic selection in open fractures was developed and implemented at two regional Level 1 trauma centers. We used pre-intervention surveys to assess participants’ ability to select the preferred antibiotic regimen for open fracture clinical scenarios and their comfort with open fracture management. The intervention consisted of instructional posters displayed in trauma bays showing the Gustilo classification for open fractures and the approved prophylactic antibiotic regimen for each fracture type. After a six-week intervention period, unmatched post-education survey responses were compared with pre-intervention responses using Fisher’s Exact Test or the Fisher-Freeman-Halton Exact Test, with significance set at p <0.05.Results. Participants included 16 orthopedic residents and 18 trauma staff members. The proportion of respondents who reported being very comfortable selecting antibiotics for type 3 open fractures increased from 6% to 68% (p <0.001). Correct identification of the preferred antibiotic regimen across three clinical scenarios involving type 3 open fractures increased by an average of 58%, with all improvements reaching statistical significance (p <0.001).Conclusions. Implementation of a simplified antibiotic prophylaxis protocol, reinforced with instructional posters in the emergency department, significantly improved participants’ knowledge and confidence in antibiotic selection for type 3 open fractures. These findings support the adoption of standardized treatment algorithms in trauma care settings
Conspecific oophagy by an invasive Argentine Black-and-white Tegu (Salvator merianae) in Florida, United States
No full textImagining the Future of Death
Get PDFDeath is a core aspect of the sustainability of our societies. With our ageing populations and increasingly chronic pathologies, end-of-life is a major issue for contemporary and future societies, in terms of care, medical and economic costs and meaning. Yet public policy and healthcare systems have yet to succeed in restoring value and meaning to death and end-of-life, which are seen as failures or obstacles dealt with reluctantly. Faced with the powerlessness of scenarios based on the cost/benefit balance, imagination offers an alternative method for, on the one hand, envisaging the evolution of contemporary death systems if nothing changes, and, on the other, considering possible alternatives that could restore meaning and value to death and end-of-life by transforming systems from within. Three applications of an imagination heuristic are developed herein: the first uses the scenario model, no longer to estimate costs and benefits, but rather to project extrapolations that provide a better understanding of current issues; the second analyses the art of conversation as an imaginary exploration of suffering and its ability to restore meaning to the final period of life; the third studies non-medicinal interventions in art as a concrete form of imagination. These three experiments with imagination identify ways in which subjectivities and organisations can be transformed to establish a caring culture as opposed to a culture of risk
Rhetoric vs. Reality: Political Motivations Behind High Speed 2 (HS2) Decision-making
Get PDFThis project asks whether British prime ministers Boris Johnson’s and Rishi Sunak’s decisions to cancel part of High Speed 2 (HS2) – a rail line intended to connect major cities in the United Kingdom – stem from political motivations or practical infrastructure concerns. Previous researchers have examined the importance of access to high-speed rail (HSR) networks outside of major metropolitan areas and the effects of this on regional economies. Using public choice theory as a theoretical lens, this project examines the political factors influencing the cancellation – or funding – of the major rail project. The research uses a mixed qualitative and quantitative method to assess the political rhetoric and realities surrounding HS2’s development. Specifically, the project employs a comparative analysis of government policy papers, reports, and press statements from the respective prime ministers and public opinion polling, election results, and transportation data. This project argues short-term political decisions played a greater role in the rail project’s cancellation than potential infrastructure concerns or post-pandemic travel patterns. For instance, the cancellations reflect Johnson’s commitment to maintaining political cohesion and party support and Sunak’s priority of improving his public image ahead of an election. Citing the UK’s history of regional economic disparities exacerbated by Conservative policies, the research aims to contribute to a better understanding of how party politics shape the development of large-scale infrastructure projects
Ķencis, Toms, Simon J. Bronner, Elo-Hanna Seljamaa, eds. Folklore and Ethnology in the Soviet Western Borderlands: Socialist in Form, Nationalist in Content
Get PDFImproving the standardization of wild bee occurrence data: Towards a formal wild bee data standard
Get PDFConservation and management of wild bees is hindered by the variety of ways wild bee occurrence data are recorded, managed, and shared. Here, we present solutions to address this issue and introduce The Wild Bee Data Standard, a standardized means of recording and reporting data associated with wild bee occurrences, including physical specimens and photo observations. This standard aligns with contemporary data management practices widely adopted by the broader biodiversity data community. We propose a set of terms for the standard that describe various features of bee occurrences, including collection method and location, taxonomic verification, and final record storage. We emphasize the importance of providing sampling protocol and effort information with wild bee occurrence data and offer guidance to make this a more common practice. We describe how to translate data not currently aligned with the standard to meet its conditions, and how to upload those data to an accessible online repository. We provide case studies, data entry templates, a glossary of terms, and additional resources to guide new users to implementing the standard. We also present a forum, established as a GitHub repository, to support continued development of the standard. Recognizing the significant change this represents for current data practices, we outline the benefits for the bee research and conservation community that will result from improved data standards. We advocate for making all historical, current, and future bee occurrence data openly available to facilitate more rigorous and comprehensive research, conservation, and management of wild bees. This contribution is part of a series developed in association with the U.S. National Native Bee Monitoring Network to standardize bee monitoring practices