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Supportive Role (supportive + role)
Selected AbstractsSphingosine kinase 2 deficient tumor xenografts show impaired growth and fail to polarize macrophages towards an anti-inflammatory phenotypeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 9 2009Andreas Weigert Abstract A challenging task of the immune system is to fight cancer cells. However, a variety of human cancers educate immune cells to become tumor supportive. This is exemplified for tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which are polarized towards an anti-inflammatory and cancer promoting phenotype. Mechanistic explanations, how cancer cells influence the macrophage phenotype are urgently needed to address potential anti-cancer strategies along this line. One potential immune modulating compound, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), was recently highlighted in both tumor growth and immune modulation. Using a xenograft model in nude mice, we demonstrate a supportive role of sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2), one of the S1P-producing enzymes for tumor progression. The growth of SphK2-deficient MCF-7 breast tumor xenografts was markedly delayed when compared with controls. Infiltration of macrophages in SphK2-deficient and control tumors was comparable. However, TAMs from SphK2-deficient tumors displayed a pronounced anti-tumor phenotype, showing an increased expression of pro-inflammatory markers/mediators such as NO, TNF-,, IL-12 and MHCII and a low expression of anti-inflammatory IL-10 and CD206. These data suggest a role for S1P, generated by SphK2, in early tumor development by affecting macrophage polarization. © 2009 UICC [source] Assessment of Internet voice transport with TCPINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, Issue 4 2006Panagiotis Papadimitriou Abstract We investigate whether the current best-effort technology of Internet stands up to the high quality standards of real-time voice communication. More precisely, we assess VoIP quality within the context of transport protocol support and efficiency. Initially, we focus on TCP and UDP supportive role from the perspective of VoIP performance. Applying our metric for real-time performance, we reach the outcome that UDP is always not the protocol of choice for VoIP, since it occasionally exhibits inadequate performance. Beyond that, we evaluate a solution-framework based on TCP protocols, which favour real-time traffic. Based on our measurements, we assess the efficiency of the associated congestion control and congestion avoidance mechanisms in terms of VoIP performance. We also study the effect of packet size on protocol behaviour and VoIP quality. Furthermore, we investigate VoIP traffic friendliness, as well as potential tradeoffs between protocol performance and fairness. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Oxidative-inflammatory damage in cirrhosis: Effect of vitamin E and a fermented papaya preparationJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 5 2007Francesco Marotta Abstract Background and Aim:, Oxidative DNA damage occurs as an early event in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and is an indication of the potential for carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to test a novel antioxidant/immunomodulator in patients with HCV-related cirrhosis. Methods:, The study group consisted of 50 patients with HCV-related cirrhosis with transaminase values less than twofold increased (alanine aminotransferase [ALT] < 80 IU/L). Patients underwent a standardized food-vitamin composition assessment and were assessed for dietary intake, nutritional status and iron level. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups and then given either ,-tocopherol 900 IU/day or 9 g/day of a fermented papaya preparation (FPP, Immun-Age, Osato Research Institute, Gifu, Japan) at bedtime for 6 months. Ten healthy subjects served as controls. Patients were checked monthly for: routine tests, redox status (reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, oxidized glutathione, malondialdehyde), plasma ,-tocopherol, 8-hydroxy-deoxy-guanidine (8-OHdG) level in circulating leukocyte DNA and serum levels of cytokines. Results:, Patients with cirrhosis showed a significant imbalance of redox status (low antioxidants/high oxidative stress markers) (P < 0.005 vs controls). Neither treatment regimen affected transaminases as a whole. However, vitamin E supplementation almost normalized ALT only in the limited vitamin-E-deficient subgroup. A significant improvement of redox status was obtained by both regimens. However, only FPP significantly decreased 8-OHdG and the improvement of cytokine balance with FPP was significantly better than with vitamin E treatment (P < 0.05). Conclusions:, Although the present data seem to suggest a potential supportive role of antioxidants/immunomodulators as FPP in HCV patients, more studies are needed to substantiate their effect on the natural history of the disease. [source] Stakeholders Influence and Internal Championing of Product Stewardship in the Italian Food Packaging IndustryJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2000Marcello Braglia Summary Environmental management is becoming a top issue on managers' agendas in several industries. The adoption and implementation of a sound "green" strategy involves following product stewardship practices. Product stewardship is the idea that manufacturers, rather than consumers, governments, or waste companies, ought to take responsibility for the recycling and disposal of their products at the end of their life cycle. This article is aimed at investigating the relationships between the adoption of product stewardship practices and the involvement of different actors in the decision-making process. By means of discriminant analysis, 120 firms have been classified into two different environmental profiles. Results indicate that firms that are more committed to product stewardship differ from less-committed firms in the influence exerted by different stakeholders and in the supportive role played by the management at different hierarchical and functional levels. In general, it appears that top management involvement in the decision-making process is a critical condition for the successful championship of product stewardship. In addition, the effective implementation of product stewardship along the product life-cycle stages is correlated to a strong commitment on the part of chief technical officers and development engineers rather than of manufacturing or marketing managers. [source] Beneath the Surface: A Story of Leadership, Recruitment, and the Hidden Dimensions of Strategic Workplace DesignJOURNAL OF INTERIOR DESIGN, Issue 1 2000Sheila Danko M.I.D. ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to explore issues related to workplace design and corporate leadership in the 21st century, specifically the strategic leadership initiatives needed to recruit, retain, and motivate talented employees. The research design uses a qualitative research method called narrative or life stories in combination with a traditional case study approach. Cases selected had to be strategic, inspiring/aspiring, authentic, and multivocal. Both design process and design product were examined as well as the impact of design on the individual and the organization. Interview data were collected on site, audio taped, and transcribed verbatim to ensure accuracy. Focused narratives were then generated from the case study interview data. The transcripts were reviewed to identify major issues, recurring themes, and categories of analysis. The raw interview data were then sifted through Labov's six-part framework for organizing and interpreting narratives. The process of evolving the raw interview transcripts into a meaningful story followed Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach, and Zilber's (1998) holistic-content approach. A story entitled "Beneath the Surface" forms the basis of the results and discussion section, and presents a true account of how workplace design impacted the interview process through the eyes of a young executive recruit. The story revealed that the design of space factored heavily into the new recruit's decision-making process and ultimate acceptance of the position, and that the impacts of the workplace design extended beyond the initial recruitment to have longer-term implications for corporate competitiveness. The narrative also revealed that the chief administrative officer (CAO) and new director of organizational development viewed design as a strategic tool, and that the managing partner used design elements strategically to communicate her divisions' values and social mission. The story reveals strategic implications of both design process and product for six strategic leadership initiatives thought to impact overall quality of work life, and to enhance recruitment and retention: differentiating quality of life as a competitive edge, aligning individual values with corporate values, building a sense of community, nurturing professional growth and knowledge transfer, communicating social mission, and leaving a legacy of social change. Design was shown to play a supportive role for each of the above leadership initiatives. [source] Individual and group meaning-making in an urban third grade classroom: Red fog, cold cans, and seeping vaporJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 9 2005Sherry Southerland We examined third graders' understandings of condensation using an expanded notion of the Emergent Perspective, a reflexive consideration of individual and group meaning-making situated in the culture of the classroom. Data were collected from two small groups of students in an inquiry-based, urban classroom during a unit on the water cycle. Measures included conceptual pre-/posttests, interviews, written work, and discourse analyses of a science lesson. Although we identified the supportive role of the teacher's explicit assessments of children's ideas, within the small groups, the force that most potently shaped meaning-making was students' persuasive power, which was in part influenced by the rhetorical moves employed. Specifically, students' evaluative comments (a type of rhetorical move) about contributions of other group members seemed to be particularly persuasive in these groups. Evaluative comments, apart from students' academic status, were shown to be an important influence in not only social knowledge production but also in individual internalization. Our explanation focuses on the particular discursive practices as intellectual resources of urban students, but we are also mindful of the cognitive complexity of the material and the developmental abilities of the students. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 1032,1061, 2005 [source] Role of family in alcohol and substance abusePSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 2 2006OMER SAATCIOGLU md Abstract, Abuse is a family disease, which requires joint treatment of family members. Family is an important part of the diagnosis and treatment chain of alcohol and substance abuse. Abuse of alcohol and substance is a response to fluctuations in the family system. In consideration of interactions within the system, it seems an important requirement that the clinician involves, and maintains the presence of, the family in its entirety in the treatment process. A family often needs as much treatment as the family member who is the abuser of alcohol or a substance. In this regard, participation of the family in the treatment process as group members and by assuming a supportive role are assets in terms of preventing relapse, and extending clean time, and also very important for solving conflicts that give rise to abuse of alcohol or substances. Accordingly, it is important to know the family structure and its role in the treatment process. This article covers a review of family systems separately in terms of alcoholism and substance abuse. [source] Experiences and concerns about ,returning to work' for women breast cancer survivors: a literature reviewPSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 7 2010Corine Tiedtke Abstract Objective: To explore how female breast cancer patients experience work incapacity during the treatment and return-to-work phases and how interactions between patients and stakeholders affect this experience. Method: Database search for full text articles published between January 1995 and January 2008 that focused on employed female breast cancer patients, factors related to work incapacity, and returning to work. Only results based on self-report data were included. Studies focusing on treatment, financial factors, rate of return, or absence were excluded. Results: Six articles met the inclusion criteria. Women with breast cancer receive varied reactions but little advice about returning to work. Women were primarily concerned with disclosing the diagnosis to their employer and to relatives. Uncertainties about physical appearance, ability to work, and possible job loss affected the women's decisions about working during the treatment phase. After treatment, most women wanted to regain their ,normal life', but concentration and arm or fatigue problems potentially interfered. Although supportive work environments were helpful, the individual needs of women differed. Employers and employees need to find a balance in defining accommodating work. Many women received favourable support, but some reported feeling discriminated against. Many women re-evaluated the role of work in their lives after being confronted with breast cancer. Conclusion: Work adjustments could help women to keep their jobs during illness and recovery. To resolve women's concerns about returning to work, employers, physicians, and insurance institutions should consider increasing and improving communication with breast cancer patients and playing a more active and supportive role. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Bipolar II disorder: a reviewBIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 1 2005Michael Berk Objectives:, To review the current knowledge of bipolar II disorder. Methods:, Literature was reviewed after conducting a Medline search and a hand search of relevant literature. Results:, Bipolar II disorder is a common disorder, with a prevalence of approximately 3,5%. Distinct clinical features of bipolar II disorder have been described. The key to diagnosis is the recognition of past hypomania, while depression is the typical presenting feature of the illness. This is responsible for a significant rate of missed diagnosis, and consequent management according to unipolar guidelines. It is unclear if bipolar II disorder is over-represented amongst resistant depression populations and if abrupt offset of antidepressant action is a phenomenon over represented in bipolar II disorder, reflecting induction of predominantly depressive cycling. A few mood-stabilizer studies available provide provisional suggestion of utility. A supportive role for psychosocial therapies is suggested, however, there is a sparsity of published studies specific to bipolar II disorder cohorts. A small number of short-term antidepressant trials have suggested efficacy, however, compelling long-term maintenance data is absent. Conclusions:, An emerging literature on the specific clinical signature and management of the disorder exists, however, this is disproportionately small relative to the epidemiology and clinical significance of the disorder. [source] The role of allergen challenge chambers in the evaluation of anti-allergic medication: an international consensus paperCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY REVIEWS, Issue 2 2006J. H. Day Summary Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common condition with quality of life and economic implications for those affected. Numerous studies have attempted to evaluate treatments for rhinitis, seeking clinically meaningful efficacy and safety results to enable evidence-based treatment decisions. Traditional studies of medications for AR are hampered by many confounding environmental factors as well as suboptimal medication compliance. They are also an unsuitable setting for determination of precise pharmacodynamic properties of medications, including onset and duration of action. Allergen challenge chambers (ACCs) were developed to provide predetermined, controlled allergen levels and to limit variables inherent in traditional studies. An ACC hosts a number of allergen-sensitive subjects who may receive either medication or placebo in a closed environment regulated for temperature, humidity and other variables. Subjects' allergic responses are monitored using subjective and objective assessments throughout the study, and the resultant information contributes significantly to the clinical profile of a medication. This consensus paper provides an in-depth review of the role of ACCs as a means to evaluate treatments in AR, and concludes that ACC trials fulfil an important supportive role in the assessment of anti-allergic medication. [source] Evaluation of the needs and concerns of partners of women at high risk of developing breast/ovarian cancerPSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Shab Mireskandari Abstract This exploratory study investigates the experience of partners of women at high risk of developing breast/ovarian cancer and reports on the partners' views concerning their relationship, communication, future planning, children and childbearing, involvement in decision-making regarding screening and prophylactic measures, and information and support needs. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 partners. Of these, seven were partners of women who were BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, five were partners of women with unknown mutation status, and three were partners of women who were non-carriers. None of the women had a previous diagnosis of breast or ovarian cancer. Partners of carriers and women with unknown mutation status were found to be more distressed than partners of non-carriers, with partners of mutation carriers reporting the most difficulties. Factors associated with better adjustment and coping for partners included dealing with this situation as a team with their wife, greater involvement in decision-making, satisfaction with their supportive roles and being optimistic. Decision-making difficulties in relation to prophylactic measures, concerns about their children possibly being at increased cancer risk, as well as the need to receive information directly from health professionals and the wish to meet other partners were also discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||