bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
VOCATIONAL MOTIVES IN COLLEGE
Authors: Achilles Paul S.
Published: January 2012

Fifty psychologists on the faculties of fifty colleges and universities throughout the country participated in the survey which Dr. Achilles reports in the following article. The resultant data bear directly on the perennial and important question, “Are college men vocationally motivated?” They also illuminate the influencing factors of vocational choice and the relationship of occupational aims or drives to such matters as selection of courses and quality of scholarship. While surveys of this character are necessarily somewhat superficial from the standpoint of the problems of any one individual, they are highly useful in furnishing data essential to the indication of changes and trends among the group of college students. This report is of special interest in relation to the articles on “Vitalizing Vocational Information in College” and “The Alleged Overpopulation of the College” in our December issue.
A FOUR‐SQUARE PROGRAM: Guidance Aims and Methods in a University High School
Authors: Hinderman R. A.
Published: January 2012

Though the guidance program of the Wisconsin High School of the University of Wisconsin is not based on any elaborate organization of activities, it may make some claim to adequacy. In spite of its simplicity, there is provision for leadership and coordination, for individual and group advisement, for curricular guidance, and for special services and the conducting of experiments. At the recent convention of the National Vocational Guidance Association in Atlantic City, the chairman of the Guidance Committee of the Wisconsin High School outlined the plan of guidance work in operation in that interesting institution. We take pleasure in presenting his paper in printed form.
Letter Box: Communications in Agreement and Disagreement
Authors: Brewer John M.
Published: January 2012

Mass Production and Vocational Education

In the April 1935 number of this magazine, under the head, “Why Are Vocational Schools?” Charles A. Prosser discussed and criticized some of the conclusions reached by Charles A. Koepke as a result of a job analysis survey which he described in Occupations for June 1934. In the following rejoinder, Professor Koepke defends his original position and insists on a new type of instruction for production workers, with increased emphasis on versatility.
RECESS FOR WORK EXPERIENCE: Bennington's Winter Period as an Educational Device
Authors: Gray Charles H.
Published: January 2012

“The world do move”—and so does education. The conservative function of education is not its only one, nor can that be well performed without progressive thinking, experimentation, adaptation. There is something to be conserved besides the social past—there is the present individual; the individual and the society in which he lives are ever new. So there must always be new ways of serving and conserving the eternal values of life. Of late there has been much ferment in educational thought, and a good deal of experimentation in educational methods and practices. Thus it is that we hear of many “Plans”—the Winnetka Plan, for example, and the Fieldston Plan, described in the May issue of this magazine. On the college level, we have the Antioch Plan and the Bennington Plan, although their sponsors may feel that the word “Plan” is being a trifle overworked. In the Fieldston School, the secondary department of the Ethical Culture Schools of New York City, the educational aim is the integration of culture and utility. Something like that is also true of Bennington College. No feature of the Bennington Plan is more interesting than the Winter Field and Reading Period, described in the following article.
TEACHERS: SUPPLY AND DEMAND: Today's Situation and the Problem of Prediction
Authors: Townsend M. Ernest
Published: January 2012

How many teachers are needed? How many will be needed tomorrow? The answers depend on a number of different factors, which are here analyzed by the President of the New Jersey State Normal School at Newark with special reference to the New Jersey situation but with practical suggestions applicable to other states and to the country as a whole. He emphasizes the variability of these factors in terms of time and place, and especially in terms of a philosophy of values. The term “needed” has several different meanings which have to be considered from as many points of view. The problem of occupational supply and demand, present and future, is one of superlative importance. This article is a trenchant discussion of the problem as it presents itself in the field of teaching to administrators of teacher‐training institutions and as it deserves to be understood by those responsible for the determination of public educational policies.
INFORMATION THE DRAMA WAY: Suggestions for Teachers of Classes in Occupations
Authors: Lincoln Mildred E.
Published: January 2012

Dramatization has been found a useful and effective educational device, especially in schools and on the radio. The method has been applied to the class in occupations as a means of vitalizing not only the quest for information but the information itself. It adds to motivation, and helps make the pupil a real participant in the learning process. This method has been employed by Miss Lincoln in the Rochester, N. Y., schools and in the summer demonstration school at Teachers College, Columbia. In the present article she furnishes suggestions that should be helpful to other teachers and counselors. One of the playlets to which she refers is appended to the article for illustrative purposes.
Guidance in Public Schools
Authors: Bogan William J.
Published: January 2012

In previous issues of this magazine we have printed articles from the heads of a number of large‐city school systems—Superintendents Campbell of New York, Sutton of Atlanta, Reed of Minneapolis, Weglein of Baltimore—and each has had something significant to say from the superintendent's point of view. But each has had his individual point of view and made his own significant contribution. Superintendent Bogan of Chicago, who writes the article presented here, is no exception. Dr. Bogan refers to three kinds of guidance—educational, moral, vocational—but points out their close inter‐relationship. He deplores the “vocational illiteracy” which is so prevalent among young people, but has high hopes that it can and will be overcome. He emphasizes the importance of adaptability in a changing occupational world.
Serving the Needs of Youth: Guidance Implications of an Experimental Study
Authors: Aikin Wilford M.
Published: January 2012

Educators have long been raising critical voices over the domination of American high schools by college entrance requirements. Much of the criticism has been based on the idea that college preparatory studies do not fit the needs and capacities of all the students, though an increasing number of boys and girls have been going on to higher institutions. But back of an experimental study undertaken by the Commission on the Relation of School and College, of the Progressive Education Association, lies another idea—namely, that the putting of individual needs first, in the organization, teaching methods, and curricular content of high schools, may result in the best kind of college preparation, provided that the colleges cooperate.

In May, 1932, an experimental plan for the better coordination of school and college work was proposed to the colleges, 250 of which have given their official approval. For a period of five years, beginning in 1936, they will accept students from any of the selected group of secondary schools included in this experimental study without regard to the course and unit requirements now generally in force and without further examination. Selection for admission will be based on a statement from the principal and on a careful record of the applicant's school history. The schools are making ready. The chairman of the committee directing the project points out here some of the changes taking place and their significance for the future of secondary school education.
Approach in Taking Tests: A Technique for Studying the Examinee's Behavior
Authors: Baumgarten Franziska
Published: January 2012

Argument over the validity and reliability of tests continues; so, happily, does research. One of the persistent criticisms of tests in general has arisen from the varied temperaments of the subjects, the differing conditions under which the tests are given, and the diverse reactions to the test situations. All of these without reference to content of the test or the particular human characteristic which it was supposed to test. Keen to sense the fact that this behavior is also a most important evidence of the make‐up of personality, psychologists have seized upon it as a valuable diagnostic tool. Throughout Europe the psychotechnicians will show you test after test designed primarily to reveal the individual's manner of approaching it. The most elaborate analysis of possible actions and alternative interpretations is Dr. Baumgarten's, which is included in Die Test‐methode, her contribution to the Handbuch der biologischen Arbeitsmethoden, edited by E. Abderhalden. We translated it from the German, discussed it at her home in Solothurn, Switzerland, and received her approval of our version. We believe it will be of deep interest to our readers.
Boys Looking for Jobs: Volunteer Counselors in Cincinnati High Schools
Authors: Lee Charles E.
Published: January 2012

In this article Mr. Lee tells the story of a project in volunteer counseling in the Cincinnati public schools. It is, of course, only a part of the story of the counseling work being done in the school system of that city. However, it is an interesting part, and judging from the fact that it has now been going on for something like nine years, it seems to have proved its worth.
Social Trends and Vocational Guidance: Occupational Consequences of Social and Economic Trends
Authors: Pence Edith E.
Published: January 2012

Here is one counselor's attempt to reduce to simple and useful terms some of the implications for guidance found in her study of the recent literature of social and economic trends. In a series of brief statements she sets forth a number of important tendencies noted by authoritative writers; then after each such statement she presents a few suggestions regarding its significance for vocational guidance. Of course the subject of social, economic, and vocational trends is so vast and complicated, and further research is so greatly needed, that the author makes no pretense to final authority, but we are sure that our readers will find the outline helpful as it stands and some will doubtless be moved to construct similar summaries as a tool for use in their own counseling or teaching work.
Helping the Handicapped Child: Suggestions from a Doctor and a Social Worker
Authors: Bishop Louis Faugeres
Published: January 2012

Knowing the value of occupational therapy for handicapped children in general, Dr. Bishop in writing this paper has embraced the popular hobby idea and applied it in particular to children with handicapped hearts—whose number is legion. Further realizing the necessity, in these days of depression, for hobbies entailing small outlay, he has tried to strike the common denominator by embodying in his paper such simple, workable ideas as he has found practical for the handicapped child, keeping within both financial and physical limits. He clearly conveys the importance of a definite interest in some given hobby as a boon not only to the sick child but to mother, nurse, or teacher. This paper was recently broadcast as an address over Station W ABC under the auspices of the New York Academy of Medicine, Medical Information Bureau.
The Plight of the Hard of Hearing
Authors: Pless Marie A.
Published: January 2012

The handicap of the handicapped child, whether it be a weak heart or impaired hearing, or something else, is often no more serious than the handicap imposed by lack of sympathy and understanding on the part of others. This latter kind of handicap must be removed if the child is to make the most of his educational and vocational opportunities. A positive approach to this problem is necessary in order that the child himself may acquire the ability to deal successfully with his own problem.
College Credit in Advance: Anticipatory Examinations as an Articulation Device
Authors: Wagner Mazie Earle , Mills Henry C.
Published: January 2012

The problem of articulation between high school and college is one that has increasingly engaged the attention of educators. Reference to it has occasionally been made in the pages of this magazine, for back of the administrative and curricular adjustments involved in this problem are the student's own adjustments in his transition from high school to college. The wastage of time, money, and effort that results from faulty articulation is not only an institutional loss, it is also an individual loss. It is one of the functions of educational guidance to reduce such wastage and loss. Educational procedures and devices which contribute to this end are in harmony with guidance aims. Moreover these procedures and devices cannot be fully effective without the accompaniment of educational guidance, under whatever name it may be provided. In the following article an articulation device adopted by the University of Buffalo is described by two members of the faculty, the description including the methods by which students are selected and guided under this experimental plan.
Opportunities in art Vocations: Findings of a Recent Survey
Authors: Thompson Eleanor Shepherd
Published: January 2012

In the following article Dr. Thompson briefly describes and analyzes some of the occupations available for girls and women in the field of practical arts. Indications are given of the personal and training requirements for successful work as textile designer, costume designer, costume illustrator, interior decorator, and manufacturer's or department store stylist. Here is art not for art's sake, perhaps, but not entirely for vocation's sake, for an art vocation may not only afford expression to artistic impulses but also contribute to the world's enjoyment of beauty in daily life.
Keeping the Record: News of the National Vocational Guidance Association
Authors: McNamara Marie
Published: January 2012

Secretaries of the branches are requested to send reports to Miss McNamara, Commercial High School, Tower Parkway, New Haven, Connecticut, promptly after each meeting or other event.
Oakland's Occupational Adjustment Department
Authors: JACOBSEN E. W. , DAVIS DONALD L.
Published: January 2012

Is the time not near when every well‐regulated public school system will have a Department of Occupational Adjustment? So impressed with their responsibilities for placement of graduates were school officials of Oakland, California, that all occupational guidance, training, and placement activities have been merged in a newly created division under a director and a coordinator. This seventh of Occupation's reports of progress by members of NOC's Occupational Education Tour also describes personal planning classes, a policy council, and the use of occupational motion pictures.
Occupational Information and Guidance Service
Authors:   MARYLAND STATE PLAN APPROVED
Published: January 2012

Commissioner J. W. Studebaker, in an article prepared exclusively for the November issue of Occupations containing initial announcement of the Occupational Information and Guidance Service recently established in the United States Office of Education, declared that one of the primary objectives of the new Service was the inauguration of state supervision of occupational information and guidance service programs.

Any State desiring to take advantage of federal funds to assist in the payment of salary and expenses of a State Supervisor of an Occupational Information and Guidance Service must have its proper authorities accept the necessary amendments to the state plan of vocational education already in existence. The amended plan then is submitted to the U. S. Office of Education for approval.

Maryland in November became the first state to have such a program passed and approved. Half a dozen other state plans were being considered in December. The Maryland plan is reproduced herewith in part, through the courtesy of the Maryland State Department of Education. It will be noted that the office of supervisor, though supported by funds allotted to vocational education, is expected to serve the needs of all schools in the state with respect to occupational information and guidance.

Our readers will be particularly interested in the comprehensive statements regarding the duties and qualifications of the state supervisor and will see how useful the office of state supervisor can be in promoting the objectives set forth in Commissioner Studebaker's article. Other states will watch with interest the development of occupational information and guidance service in Maryland.
Adjustment Service of Chicago's High Schools
Authors: MUNSON GRACE E.
Published: January 2012

Aids to pupil self‐guidance that are based largely upon studies and counseling methods applied to individual differences feature the recently launched “Adjustment Service” now operating in all high schools of Chicago. Following a trial period the Service proved its value within less than a year, and now is on the verge of further expansion as a vital contribution to the occupational adjustment of the city's youth.
What It Takes to Become a Court Reporter
Authors: STONE IRWIN R.
Published: January 2012

There are many skilled occupations in which even the experienced observer is unable to comprehend the nature and amount of difficult preparation required of aspirants. Into this category falls the occupation of the court stenographer. Counselors and prospective workers in this field will find valuable information in Mr. Stone's description of a job that requires extraordinary skills.
Follow‐Up in the Office Training Course
Authors: BARNHART EARL W.
Published: January 2012

In response to the many calls for information about follow‐up procedures that constantly come to the offices of the National Occupational Conference, Occupations has discussed various programs in previous issues, and has run news items about studies in such cities as Baltimore, Boston, Minneapolis, and Providence. None of this previously published information, however, has suggested such a simple and practical way for making a follow‐up study as the present article indicates.
Vocational Information Conferences At Ohio State University
Authors: ZORBAUGH GRACE S. M.
Published: January 2012

Spring is just around the corner, and with it will come many career and vocational information conferences for students of America's schools and colleges. High school and college vocational counselors will obtain many helpful suggestions from Miss Zorbaugh's description of a service that has become increasingly important to students at Ohio State University.
Educational Policies for Occupational Adjustment
Authors: STODDARD ALEXANDER J.
Published: January 2012

Recognition of the direct responsibility of the public school for definite aid to youth through coordinated activities in occupational guidance, training, and placement is spreading rapidly throughout the nation. An increasing number of educational study groups are giving attention to occupational adjustment. The interest of one such group—the Educational Policies Commission of the National Education Association and the American Association of School Administrators—is presented in the accompanying article.
Government Agencies and Vocational Guidance
Authors: HAYES MARY H. S.
Published: January 2012

From time to time in recent years Occupations has provided brief reports of vocational guidance information and activities in various divisions of the federal government. This discussion of all such agencies and the part they play includes details concerning the activities of the National Youth Administration. The article is adapted from an address by Dr. Hayes before the Vocational Guidance Section of the American Vocational Association's annual Convention last December in St. Louis.
After the Youth Surveys—What?
Authors: REEVES FLOYD W.
Published: January 2012

The past decade has been marked by furious surveys of youth's needs. These have been helpful in focusing public attention on the problems. Now that conditions have been so clearly exposed, Dr. Reeves suggests steps that should be taken to remedy them.
An Occupational Survey of Wooster Graduates, 1926–1933
Authors: SOUTHWICK ARTHUR F.
Published: January 2012

Wherein did the college fail to meet the individual's educational or vocational needs? was one of ten pertinent questions submitted to alumni of The College of Wooster in a recent follow‐up survey. The findings, which had been compared with the results of similar studies, have significance for all concerned with vocational guidance.
Vocational and Educational Guidance in Ontario Secondary Schools
Authors: STEVENS V. S.
Published: January 2012

Most of us know that NVGA has a Branch in Canada but we are not very familiar with developments across the border. Here is a candid picture of vocational guidance in Ontario schools—the background, the trends, the present status, and the hope for the future.
“The Vocational Appraiser” in a University Veterans Guidance Center1
Authors: MATHEWSON ROBERT H.
Published: January 2012

The Veterans Administration offers educational and vocational guidance to able‐bodied and disabled veterans eligible to educational benefits and training under Public Law 346 and Public Law 16. In Occupations, March, 1945, p. 317, the Veterans Administration explained why colleges are chosen as counseling centers for veterans and outlined three plans for cooperation with the colleges.

The following account, written by the Director of a university center under contract with the Veterans Administration, might be considered as a job analysis of the work of the “vocational appraiser” or counselor in such a center.—Editor.
Antimicrobial de‐escalation strategies in hospitalized patients with pneumonia, intra‐abdominal infections, and bacteremia
Authors: Kaye Keith S.
Published: January 2012

Increasing numbers of serious hospital/healthcare‐ or community‐acquired infections are caused by resistant (often multi‐drug resistant) bacterial pathogens. Because delayed or ineffective initial therapy can have severe negative consequences, patients at risk for these types of infections typically receive initial empiric antibiotic therapy with a broad‐spectrum regimen covering the most likely pathogens, based on local surveillance data and risk factors for infection with a resistant microorganism. While improving the likelihood of a successful outcome, use of broad‐spectrum, often high‐dose, empiric antimicrobial therapy also creates pressure for the selection or development of resistant microorganisms, as well as increasing costs and possibly exposing patients to adverse events or collateral damage such as Clostridium difficile‐associated disease. De‐escalation is a strategy that attempts to balance the competing aims of providing initial empiric therapy that is appropriate and covers the likely pathogens, and limiting antimicrobial exposure and increased risk for emergence of resistant pathogens. More specifically, the de‐escalation strategy involves collection of cultures for later microbiological assessment before initiating broad‐spectrum empiric therapy covering the most likely pathogens, with the intention of streamlining or de‐escalating to a more narrow‐spectrum antimicrobial regimen 2–3 days later if warranted by clinical status and culture results. In some cases, negative culture results and subsequent clinical review may allow for termination of initial empiric therapy. In this manner, de‐escalation enables more effective targeting of the causative pathogen(s), elimination of redundant therapy, a decrease in antimicrobial pressure for emergence of resistance, and cost savings. This article examines application of the de‐escalation strategy to 3 case patients, one with healthcare‐associated pneumonia, another with complicated intra‐abdominal infection, and a third with central line‐associated bacteremia. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2012;7:S13–S21. © 2012 Society of Hospital Medicine
Estimates of the North Atlantic Oscillation back to 1692 using a Paris–London westerly index
Authors: Cornes Richard C. , Jones Philip D. , Briffa Keith R. , Osborn Timothy J.
Published: January 2012

A westerly index for Europe is developed back to 1692 using newly recovered and corrected Mean Sea‐level Pressure (MSLP) data from London and Paris. The index is compared against various instrumental and proxy indices of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). In the winter, the Paris‐London index depicts a spatial pattern of atmospheric circulation that is bi‐modal, with centres of action that are shifted eastwards compared to the NAO. Owing to asymmetry in the NAO the Paris‐London index provides a good depiction of positive NAO conditions as well as extreme negative phases of the NAO that arise from reversals of the pressure centres, but less extreme negative NAO conditions are associated with westerly index values approaching zero. The merit in using the Paris‐London index lies with its consistency over time as a measure of westerly wind flow, which may not be the case with other proxy‐based indices. In the summer, the Paris‐London index bears a close relationship to the reconstructed high‐summer NAO series of Folland et al. (2009) as well as the summer Luterbacher et al. (1999) NAO reconstruction. An important finding is that the summer NAO was highly variable during the early nineteenth century but was predominately positive on the decadal time scale during that period. Since circa 1970 the summer index has mostly been negative, indicating reduced westerlies and increased blocking conditions that are exceptional in the context of the last 250 years. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
High‐resolution model‐projected changes in mid‐tropospheric closed‐lows and extreme rainfall events over southern Africa
Authors: Engelbrecht C. J. , Engelbrecht F. A. , Dyson L. L.
Published: January 2012

Mid‐tropospheric closed‐lows (cold‐core cut‐off lows and warm‐core tropical lows) are important rain producing weather systems for the southern Africa region. Over South Africa, most wide‐spread flood events are caused by these systems. It is therefore important to explore the potential impact of anthropogenic forcing on the occurrence of closed‐lows and extreme rainfall events over the region. Coupled global circulation models (CGCMs) can not be directly applied for this purpose because of their relatively low spatial resolution—some form of downscaling is required to adequately resolve these systems and the rainfall they cause. In this study, a variable‐resolution atmospheric global circulation model is applied as a regional climate model to simulate closed‐low characteristics over southern Africa under current and future forcings. The model is forced with greenhouse gas concentrations according to the A2 SRES scenario and with sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and sea‐ice as specified by the CSIRO Mk3 CGCM. The model projects a general decrease in closed‐low frequencies over the region, which occurs in association with a general strengthening of the subsiding branch of the Hadley cell. However, the climate‐change signal shows variation in time and space and certain sub‐regions are projected to experience an increase in closed‐low frequencies during certain seasons. A general increase in extreme rainfall events is projected over southern Africa despite the projected decrease in closed‐low frequencies. It is deduced that this increase in extreme rainfall events is driven by intense convective rainfall events occurring within more frequently forming tropical‐temperate cloud bands. Over Mozambique, extreme rainfall events are projected to increase in association with more frequently occurring closed‐lows. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Diagnostic efficacy of backscattering intensity measurements in optical coherence tomography of cervical intraepithelial dysplasia
Authors: Gallwas Julia , Mortensen U. , Gaschler Rebecca , Stepp H. , Friese K. , Dannecker C.
Published: January 2012

Background and Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic efficacy of backscattering intensity measurements in optical coherence tomography in identifying different grades of cervical intraepithelial dysplasia.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

OCT images were taken from 153 unsuspicious and suspicious areas of 30 fresh conisation and hysterectomy specimens, evaluated by two blinded investigators using a six‐grade classification (normal, inflammation, CIN1, CIN2, CIN3, squamous carcinoma) and later compared to the corresponding histology. Differences between judgments based on either the histology or the OCT images were investigated employing Correspondence Analysis (CA). Further, we explored the extent as to which backscattering intensity profiles of OCT images contained the essential information required for a reliable and valid diagnosis, using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA).

Results

The CA of histology‐ and OCT‐based judgments suggests that the diagnostic process may be characterized in terms of two stochastically independent underlying (“latent”) variables, the first of them reflecting the definiteness with which CIN classes are identified, the second reflecting a bias towards diagnosing inflammation on the side of the OCT‐based judgments. This finding is supported by the results of LDAs, where histology and OCT categorizations differ in particular with respect to the positions of inflammation and CIN1. Possibly, a second canonical variable has to be assumed accounting for the evaluation of carcinoma.

Conclusions

The systematic differences between histology‐based and OCT‐based diagnoses suggest that the use of available information is influenced by perceptual and/or cognitive biases. Apart from this it seems that the profiles appear to provide a remarkably large amount of information determining the main course of the diagnostic process. Lasers Surg. Med. 44:11–19, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The enhanced anti‐cancer effect of hexenyl ester of 5‐aminolaevulinic acid photodynamic therapy in adriamycin‐resistant compared to non‐resistant breast cancer cells
Authors: Yoon Jung‐Hoon , Yoon Hyo‐Eun , Kim Ok , Kim Sang Kyum , Ahn Sang‐Gun , Kang Keon Wook
Published: January 2012

Background and Objective

5‐Aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) and its derivatives act as precursors of the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). In this study, we compared cytotoxic effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with the hexenyl ester of ALA (ALA‐hx) between MCF‐7 human breast cancer cells and adriamycin‐resistant MCF‐7 (MCF‐7/ADR) cells.

Materials and Methods

Cell viability and apoptosis were determined by 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenylte‐trazolium bromide (MTT), flow cytometry assays. Chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays were applied to assess in vivo effect of ALA‐hx PDT. Molecular analyses using Western blots and minimal reporter constructs containing the antioxidant response element (ARE) region were performed to reveal mechanistic basis for the differential PDT sensitivity of MCF‐7 and MCF‐7/ADR cells.

Results

In MCF‐7/ADR cells, PDT with ALA‐hx more efficiently produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and suppressed cell viability compared to MCF‐7 cells. Cell death induced by ALA‐hx PDT in MCF‐7/ADR cells was mainly due to apoptosis. CAM assays confirmed that the apoptotic activity of PDT in MCF‐7/ADR cells was significantly higher than that in control MCF‐7 cells. We also found that MCF‐7/ADR cells produced lower levels of glutathione (GSH), a major antioxidant, than control MCF‐7 cells. Expression of Nrf2‐dependent anti‐oxidant genes including γ‐glutamylcysteine ligase, heme oxygenase‐1, and quinone oxidoreductase were down‐regulated in MCF‐7/ADR cells, and Nrf2 overexpression partially decreased the susceptibility of ALA‐hx PDT in MCF‐7/ADR cells. Moreover, PpIX synthesis and expression levels of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) and coproporphyrinogen oxidase (CPO) were much higher in MCF‐7/ADR cells than MCF‐7 cells.

Conclusions

ALA‐hx PDT more potently produced intracellular ROS in MCF‐7/ADR cells, which might be due to down‐regulation of Nrf2‐mediated anti‐oxidant gene transcription and up‐regulation of PpIX synthesis via the induction of CPO and PPO. These findings suggest that ALA‐hx PDT may be usable as a therapeutic alternative for adriamycin‐resistant breast cancer. Lasers Surg. Med. 44:76–86, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Successful treatment of melasma using a combination of microdermabrasion and Q‐switched Nd:YAG lasers
Authors: Kauvar Arielle N.B.
Published: January 2012

Background and Objective

A common, disfiguring problem in women, melasma is often refractory to treatment, and long‐term remissions are difficult to achieve. This study assessed the safety and effectiveness of a procedure combining microdermabrasion, a topical regimen, and low fluence Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser treatment.

Materials and Methods

In this observational study of 27 female subjects, phototypes II–V, referred for treatment of mixed‐type melasma refractory to previous therapies, low‐fluence QS Nd:YAG laser treatment of 1.6–2 J/cm2 with 5 or 6 mm spot was administered immediately following microdermabrasion. Daily application of a broad‐spectrum sunscreen began immediately; subjects used a topical skin care regimen of hydroquinone with tretinoin or vitamin C. Treatments were repeated at 4‐week intervals. Follow‐up assessment was done 3–12 months after the last treatment. Adverse effects were recorded at each visit. Standardized digital photographs obtained before each treatment session and at follow‐up visits were objectively assessed by blinded comparison using a quartile grading system.

Results

Treatment was successful in all skin types, deemed painless by all subjects, and required no anesthesia. Average number of treatments was 2.6. Twenty‐two subjects (81%) had >75% clearance of melasma; 11 subjects (40%) achieved >95% clearance. Most subjects showed >50% clearance of their melasma 1 month after the first treatment. Side effects were limited to mild post‐treatment erythema, which developed after the microdermabrasion and lasted approximately 30–60 minutes. Four subjects noted temporary exacerbation of melasma after inadvertent sun exposure, but this resolved within several weeks of resuming the topical skin care regime. Remission lasted at least 6 months.

Conclusion

Microdermabrasion plus low‐fluence QS Nd:YAG laser treatment is a simple, non‐invasive procedure with minimal risk, no recovery time, and long‐lasting remission. Treatment works on all skin phototypes in just two to three treatment sessions. Subject compliance with skin care was excellent, probably due to the dramatic improvement observed within 4 weeks. Lasers Surg. Med. 44:117–124, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Investigating visual misperceptions in Parkinson's disease: A novel behavioral paradigm
Authors: Shine James M. , Halliday Glenda H. , Carlos Mayra , Naismith Sharon L. , Lewis Simon J.G.
Published: January 2012

Visual misperception and hallucinations represent a major problem in advanced PD. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these symptoms remain poorly understood, with limited tests for their assessment. A recent hypothesis has suggested that visual misperception and hallucinations may arise from disrupted processing in the attentional networks. To assess and quantify visual misperceptions, we developed the novel bistable percept paradigm (BPP), which consists of a battery of “single” and “hidden” monochromatic images that subjects are required to study until they are satisfied that they have recognized everything that the image may represent. In this experiment, 45 patients and 18 age‐matched controls performed the BPP. Using an error score value derived from the control group, 23 patients were identified as having significant deficits on the task. Compared to patients who were unimpaired on the task, this group of patients had significantly higher levels of self‐reported hallucinations on the SCales for Outcomes in PArkinson's Disease–Psychiatric Complications and also symptoms of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD). Furthermore, impairment on the BPP was associated with significantly reduced performance on an attentional set‐shifting task. Patients with impaired performance on the BPP had higher rates of hallucinations, increased symptoms of RBD, and poorer performance on set shifting, suggesting disrupted processing within the attentional control networks. We propose that the BPP may offer a novel approach for exploring the neural correlates underlying visual hallucinations and misperceptions in PD. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
Pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling with optimized tagging efficiency
Authors: Shin David D. , Liu Thomas T. , Wong Eric C. , Shankaranarayanan Ajit , Jung Youngkyoo
Published: January 2012

The adiabatic inversion of blood in pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (PCASL) is highly sensitive to off‐resonance effects and gradient imperfections and this sensitivity can lead to tagging efficiency loss and unpredictable variations in cerebral blood flow estimates. This efficiency loss is caused by a phase tracking error between the RF pulses and the flowing spins. This article introduces a new method, referred to as Optimized PCASL (OptPCASL), that minimizes the phase tracking error by applying an additional compensation RF phase term and in‐plane gradients to the PCASL pulse train. The optimal RF phase and gradient amplitudes are determined using a prescan procedure, which consists of a series of short scans interleaved with automated postprocessing routines integrated to the scanner console. The prescan procedure is shown to minimize the phase tracking error in a robust and time efficient manner. As an example of its application, the use of OptPCASL for the improved detection of functional activation in the visual cortex is demonstrated and temporal signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), image SNR, and baseline cerebral blood flow measures are compared to those acquired from conventional PCASL. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Real‐time dynamic frequency and shim correction for single‐voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Authors: Keating Brian , Ernst Thomas
Published: January 2012

Subject motion during brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy acquisitions generally reduces the magnetic field (B0) homogeneity across the volume of interest or voxel. This is the case even if prospective motion correction ensures that the voxel follows the head. We introduce a novel method for rapidly mapping linear variations in B0 across a small volume using two‐dimensional excitations. The new field mapping technique was integrated into a prospectively motion‐corrected single‐voxel 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy sequence. Interference with the magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurement was negligible, and there was no penalty in scan time. Frequency shifts were also measured continuously, and both frequency and first‐order shim corrections were applied in real time. Phantom experiments and in vivo studies demonstrated that the resulting motion‐ and shim‐corrected sequence is able to mitigate line broadening and maintain spectral quality even in the presence of large‐amplitude subject motion. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Flexible cardiac T1 mapping using a modified look–locker acquisition with saturation recovery
Authors: Song Ting , Stainsby Jeffrey A. , Ho Vincent B. , Hood Maureen N. , Slavin Glenn S.
Published: January 2012

A modified Look–Locker acquisition using saturation recovery (MLLSR) for breath‐held myocardial T1 mapping is presented. Despite its reduced dynamic range, saturation recovery enables substantially higher imaging efficiency than conventional inversion recovery T1 mapping because it does not require time for magnetization to relax to equilibrium. Therefore, MLLSR enables segmented readouts, shorter data acquisition windows, and shorter breath holds compared with inversion recovery. T1 measurements in phantoms using MLLSR showed a high correlation with conventional single‐point inversion recovery spin echo. In vivo T1 measurements from normal and infarcted myocardium in 41 volunteers and patients were consistent with previously reported values. Twenty subjects were also scanned with MLLSR using an accelerated sampling scheme that required half the scan time (eight vs. 16 heartbeats) but yielded equivalent results. The flexibility afforded by the improved imaging efficiency of MLLSR allows the acquisition to be tailored to particular clinical needs and to individual patient's breath‐holding abilities. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Endocytic collagen degradation: a novel mechanism involved in protection against liver fibrosis
Authors: Madsen Daniel H , Jürgensen Henrik J , Ingvarsen Signe , Melander Maria C , Vainer Ben , Egerod Kristoffer L , Hald Andreas , Rønø Birgitte , Madsen Charlotte A , Bugge Thomas H , Engelholm Lars H , Behrendt Niels
Published: January 2012

Fibrosis of the liver and its end‐stage, cirrhosis, represent major health problems worldwide. In these fibrotic conditions, activated fibroblasts and hepatic stellate cells display a net deposition of collagen. This collagen deposition is a major factor leading to liver dysfunction, thus making it crucially important to understand both the collagen synthesis and turnover mechanisms in this condition. Here we show that the endocytic collagen receptor, uPARAP/Endo180, is a major determinant in governing the balance between collagen deposition and degradation. Cirrhotic human livers displayed a marked up‐regulation of uPARAP/Endo180 in activated fibroblasts and hepatic stellate cells located close to the collagen deposits. In a hepatic stellate cell line, uPARAP/Endo180 was shown to be active in, and required for, the uptake and intracellular degradation of collagen. To evaluate the functional importance of this collagen receptor in vivo, liver fibrosis was induced in uPARAP/Endo180‐deficient mice and littermate wild‐type mice by chronic CCl4 administration. A strong up‐regulation of uPARAP/Endo180 was observed in wild‐type mice, and a quantitative comparison of collagen deposits in the two groups of mice clearly revealed a fibrosis protective role of uPARAP/Endo180. This effect appeared to directly reflect the activity of the collagen receptor, since no compensatory events were noted when comparing the mRNA expression profiles of the two groups of mice in an array system focused on matrix‐degrading components. This function of uPARAP/Endo180 defines a novel role of intracellular collagen turnover in fibrosis protection. Copyright © 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integrated genome and transcriptome sequencing identifies a novel form of hybrid and aggressive prostate cancer
Authors: Wu Chunxiao , Wyatt Alexander W , Lapuk Anna V , McPherson Andrew , McConeghy Brian J , Bell Robert H , Anderson Shawn , Haegert Anne , Brahmbhatt Sonal , Shukin Robert , Mo Fan , Li Estelle , Fazli Ladan , Hurtado‐Coll Antonio , Jones Edward C , Butterfield Yaron S , Hach Faraz , Hormozdiari Fereydoun , Hajirasouliha Iman , Boutros Paul C , Bristow Robert G , Jones Steven JM , Hirst Martin , Marra Marco A , Maher Christopher A , Chinnaiyan Arul M , Sahinalp S Cenk , Gleave Martin E , Volik Stanislav V , Collins Colin C
Published: January 2012

Next‐generation sequencing is making sequence‐based molecular pathology and personalized oncology viable. We selected an individual initially diagnosed with conventional but aggressive prostate adenocarcinoma and sequenced the genome and transcriptome from primary and metastatic tissues collected prior to hormone therapy. The histology‐pathology and copy number profiles were remarkably homogeneous, yet it was possible to propose the quadrant of the prostate tumour that likely seeded the metastatic diaspora. Despite a homogeneous cell type, our transcriptome analysis revealed signatures of both luminal and neuroendocrine cell types. Remarkably, the repertoire of expressed but apparently private gene fusions, including C15orf21:MYC, recapitulated this biology. We hypothesize that the amplification and over‐expression of the stem cell gene MSI2 may have contributed to the stable hybrid cellular identity. This hybrid luminal‐neuroendocrine tumour appears to represent a novel and highly aggressive case of prostate cancer with unique biological features and, conceivably, a propensity for rapid progression to castrate‐resistance. Overall, this work highlights the importance of integrated analyses of genome, exome and transcriptome sequences for basic tumour biology, sequence‐based molecular pathology and personalized oncology. Copyright © 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Charge selective encapsulation by polymeric micelles with cationic, anionic, or zwitterionic cores
Authors: Wan Decheng , Jin Ming , Pu Hongting , Wang Guowei
Published: January 2012

Polymeric micelles showing charge selective and pH‐reversible encapsulation are reported. It is found that for a guest mixture of organic cationic–anionic dyes, a unimolecular micelle (PEI@PS) with a polystyrene (PS) as shell and a hyperbranched polyethylenimine (PEI) as core can exclusively entrap the anionic one; and a physical micelle consisting of brush‐like macromolecule (mPS‐PAA) with multi PS‐b‐polyacrylic acid (PAA) as grafts can exclusively entrap the cationic one. A covalent micelle (PEI‐COOH@PS) bearing a zwitterionic core, that is, PEI covalently derived with dense carboxylic acids, can undergo highly pH‐switchable charge selective and pH‐reversible encapsulation. Both PEI@PS and mPS‐PAA can be used for highly charge‐selective separation of ionic dyes but the pH‐reversibility of the encapsulation is relatively limited. In contrast, PEI‐COOH@PS is less effective to differentiate the anionic–cationic dyes but is well recyclable. A physical micelle obtained from the self‐assembly of PEI and mPS‐PAA shows similar property to PEI‐COOH@PS. The combination of these micelles in mixture separation can enhance the recyclability of the micelle and widen the spectrum of mixtures that can be well separated. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
Space shuttle testing of the TriDAR 3D rendezvous and docking sensor
Authors: Ruel Stéphane , Luu Tim , Berube Andrew
Published: January 2012

This paper presents results from the first two Space Shuttle test flights of the TriDAR vision system. TriDAR was developed as a proximity operations sensor for autonomous rendezvous and docking (AR&D) missions to noncooperative targets in space. The system does not require the use of cooperative markers, such as retro‐reflectors, on the target spacecraft. TriDAR includes a hybrid three‐dimensional (3D) sensor along with embedded model based tracking algorithms to provide six‐degree‐of‐freedom (6 DOF) relative pose information in real time. A thermal imager is also included to provide range and bearing information for far‐range rendezvous operations. In partnership with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and NASA, Neptec has space‐qualified the TriDAR vision system and integrated it on board Space Shuttle Discovery to fly as a detailed test objective (DTO) on the STS‐128 and STS‐131 missions to the International Space Station (ISS). The objective of the TriDAR DTO missions was to demonstrate the system's ability to perform acquisition and tracking of a known target in space autonomously and provide real‐time relative navigation cues. Knowledge (reference 3D model) about the target can be obtained on the ground or in orbit. Autonomous operations involved automatic acquisition of the ISS and real‐time tracking, as well as detection and recovery from system malfunctions and/or loss of tracking. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.