Browsing Support Departments by Title
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Validation of CIP2A as a Biomarker of Subsequent Disease Progression and Treatment Failure in Chronic Myeloid LeukaemiaBackground: It would be clinically useful to prospectively identify the risk of disease progression in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Overexpression of cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) (CIP2A) protein is an adverse prognostic indicator in many cancers. Methods: We examined CIP2A protein levels in diagnostic samples from the SPIRIT2 trial in 172 unselected patients, of whom 90 received imatinib and 82 dasatinib as first-line treatment. Results: High CIP2A levels correlated with inferior progression-free survival (p = 0.04) and with worse freedom from progression (p = 0.03), and these effects were confined to dasatinib recipients. High CIP2A levels were associated with a six-fold higher five-year treatment failure rate than low CIP2A levels (41% vs. 7.5%; p = 0.0002), in both imatinib (45% vs. 11%; p = 0.02) and dasatinib recipients (36% vs. 4%; p = 0.007). Imatinib recipients with low CIP2A levels had a greater risk of treatment failure (p = 0.0008). CIP2A levels were independent of Sokal, Hasford, EUTOS (EUropean Treatment and Outcome Study), or EUTOS long-term survival scores (ELTS) or the presence of major route cytogenetic abnormalities. No association was seen between CIP2A levels and time to molecular response or the levels of the CIP2A-related proteins PP2A, SET, SET binding protein 1 (SETBP1), or AKT. Conclusions: These data confirm that high diagnostic CIP2A levels correlate with subsequent disease progression and treatment failure. CIP2A is a simple diagnostic biomarker that may be useful in planning treatment strategies.
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Veteran help-seeking behaviour for mental health issues: a systematic review.Serving military personnel and veterans have been identified to have a high prevalence of mental health disorders. Despite this, only a significantly small number seek mental healthcare. With the UK beginning to invest further support to the armed forces community, identification of barriers and facilitators of help-seeking behaviour is needed. Corresponding literature search was conducted in PsycINFO, PsycArticles, Medline, Web of Science and EBSCO. Articles which discussed barriers and facilitators of seeking help for mental health concerns in the veteran population were included. Those which discussed serving personnel or physical problems were not included within this review. A total of 26 papers were analysed. A number of barriers and facilitators of help-seeking for a mental health issue within the veteran population were identified. Barriers included stigma, military culture of stoicism and self-reliance, as well as deployment characteristics of combat exposure and different warzone deployments. Health service difficulties such as access and lack of understanding by civilian staff were also identified. Facilitators to help combat these barriers included a campaign to dispel the stigma, including involvement of veterans and training of military personnel, as well as more accessibility and understanding from healthcare staff. While some barriers and facilitators have been identified, much of this research has been conducted within the USA and on male veterans and lacks longitudinal evidence. Further research is needed within the context of other nations and female veterans and to further indicate the facilitators of help-seeking among veterans. [Abstract copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.]
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Vitamin BVitamin B (cobalamin) is an essential cofactor for two metabolic pathways. It is obtained principally from food of animal origin. Cobalamin becomes bioavailable through a series of steps pertaining to its release from dietary protein, intrinsic factor-mediated absorption, haptocorrin or transcobalamin-mediated transport, cellular uptake, and two enzymatic conversions ( methionine synthase and methylmalonyl-CoA-mutase) into cofactor forms: methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. Vitamin B deficiency can masquerade as a multitude of illnesses, presenting different perspectives from the point of view of the hematologist, neurologist, gastroenterologist, general physician, or dietician. Increased physician vigilance and heightened patient awareness often account for its early presentation, and testing sometimes occurs during a phase of vitamin B insufficiency before the main onset of the disease. The chosen test often depends on its availability rather than on the diagnostic performance and sensitivity to irrelevant factors interfering with vitamin B markers. Although serum B is still the most commonly used and widely available test, diagnostics by holotranscobalamin, serum methylmalonic acid, and plasma homocysteine measurements have grown in the last several years in routine practice. The lack of a robust absorption test, coupled with compromised sensitivity and specificity of other tests (intrinsic factor and gastric parietal cell antibodies), hinders determination of the cause for depleted B status. This can lead to incorrect supplementation regimes and uncertainty regarding later treatment. This review discusses currently available knowledge on vitamin B , informs the reader about the pitfalls of tests for assessing its deficiency, reviews B status in various populations at different disease stages, and provides recommendations for interpretation, treatment, and associated risks. Future directions for diagnostics of B status and health interventions are also discussed.
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A voting system to enhance interactivity for studentsThis presentation discusses optivote - a radio-frequency voting system which can increase interactivity in a session - it works the same way as the 'ask the audience' feature of 'Who wants to be a millionaire'. Each set consists of 32 voting handsets, a laptop loaded with the necessary software, a radio receiver and instructions. The system will work with powerpoint slides to provide a range of question types as part of a presentation. It can give immediate feedback to students on their answers and the lecturer can obtain reports about the individual responses of their students.
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Welfare Conditionality, Ethics and Social Care for Older People in the UK: From Civic Rights to Abandonment?Abstract Welfare systems are becoming ever more conditional, with access to state support increasingly rationed via a legion of legally-defined and financially-driven restrictions and rules. Civic protection and economic rights for older citizens within Western policy systems are subsequently diminishing and continue to give way to neoliberal discursive practices which prioritise welfare activation, autonomy, participation, asset-based yet precarious self-care, the aversion of health-centred risks, and much higher levels of eligibility for support. This article looks at welfare conditionality and its relationship to older people, ethics and governance within social care. By using three examples of welfare conditional reforms from the UK, it is highlighted that strains typically persist between the altruistic components of some ethical frameworks and the everyday experiences of many older people. The relative gatekeeping powers of welfare professionals and expectations placed on family members and carers have also increased, especially upon older people with higher needs and who may lack economic and cultural capital. This is despite rhetorical policy-led claims of increasing choice and control, and allowing support to be more asset-based and personalised.
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"Welsh obscurity to notoriety" - Lloyd George, the Boer War, and the North Wales PressThis book chapter discusses the actions of David Lloyd George (MP for the Carnarvon Boroughs and future Prime Minister) during the Boer War of 1899-1902 as seen by the local North Wales press, The chapter seeks to cast light upon local views of Lloyd George's stance and explain why he was re-elected with an increased majority in the 1900 general election, despite accusations of treason. Newspapers analysed include the Carnarvon & Denbigh Herald, the North Wales Times, Yr Herald Cymraeg, the North Wales Chronicle, the Wrexham Advertiser, the North Wales Guardian, the Holyhead Mail and Anglesey Herald, and Y Baner ac Amserau Cymru.
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Welsh periodicals in the nineteenth centuryThis presentation places the developing Welsh periodical press within the changing economic, political, and social nature of nineteenth century Wales.
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Were the Early Christians Really Persecuted?The long-held image of early Christ-believers persecuted by an intolerant state has been called into question by a “minimalist” view, which, in contrast, understands Christian obstinacy as intolerance of a largely tolerant Roman state. This article seeks to balance these two extremes by offering a new model of “modified minimalism,” which accounts for both Christian and Roman viewpoints.
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Working After Loss: How Bereavement Counsellors Experience Returning to Therapeutic Work After the Death of Their ParentDespite increased interest in the impact of external events on counsellors, surprisingly little has been written on counsellor bereavement. To address the research question: How do bereavement counsellors experience therapeutic work after the death of their parent? Interviews were conducted with four bereaved counsellors who reflected on its impact on their work. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Three major themes emerged; how decisions about returning to work were informed by colleagues and supervision; the benefits of returning to work and the use of ‘bracketing’; long-term implications for practice including heightened empathy with clients’ and disclosure of loss. In addition, participants felt they had insufficient guidance regarding fitness to practice. The possible limitations of the study were that self-selection may have introduced an element of bias to the results. These findings support existing literature and also revealed potential gaps in grief and loss training for counsellors and supervisors. A particular training issue for supervisors might be identifying and discussing fitness to practice issues with supervisees. There are also implications for counsellors in terms of the use of self-disclosure in therapy. Suggested further research to explore the use of self-disclosure in greater depth.
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Worlds of evidence: Visualising patterns in witness statements in the aftermath of the Hillsborough football stadium disasterAbstract The Hillsborough football stadium disaster (1989) in Sheffield, UK, led to the deaths of 96 football fans and resulted in the longest jury case in British legal history (2016). This article examines the witness statements of two Sheffield residents who claim to have attended the match. Using a mixed-methods approach that incorporates a cognitive linguistic framework (Text World Theory) with visualisation software (VUE) we consider both form and function of a number of linguistic features, such as meta-narrative, evaluative lexis, syntax, and modality to investigate how institutional voices permeate and potentially distort layperson narratives. Our analysis casts doubt on the veracity of the statements and raises questions about what can be considered evidential in a forensic investigation.
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UntitledMale reproductive health has deteriorated in recent years as a result of industrialization, which has led to the use of desirable chemicals, like Bisphenol A (BPA), of underlying toxicity. seed is a common soup thickener that produces vegetable oil as well as essential nutrients making it a source of nutraceuticals enlisted with a wide range of therapeutic effects. A total of 48 adult male Wistar rats (120 ± 200g) were used in this study. They were completely randomized and divided into six groups: A (1ml olive oil) irrespective of the weight, B [BPA 100 mg/kg body weight (bw)], C (CMSO 7.5 ml/kg bw), D (CMSO 7.5 ml/kg bw + BPA 100 mg/kg bw), E (CMSO 5.0 ml/kg bw + BPA 100 mg/kg bw), and E (CMSO 2.5 ml/kg bw + BPA 100 mg/kg bw). At the end of the administration via oral routes, rats were sacrificed and testes were collected for biochemistry and histological analysis. BPA significantly (P < 0.05) decreased total testicular protein, epididymal sperm parameters (count, volume, and motility), Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (MMP), body weight, testicular volume; and significantly (P < 0.05) increased testicular enzymes (alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase), testicular index; plus histological damages. Interestingly, co-administration of BPA and CMSO significantly (P < 0.05) reversed the biochemical and histological changes. CMSO prevented the biochemistry and histological alterations hence reducing the testicular toxicity. Therefore, CMSO has the potential to be a promising novel nutraceutical for the treatment and management of BPA-induced testicular toxicity. [Abstract copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.]
