Cabrini University is a private Roman Catholic university in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania. The college was founded by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1957, and was named after the first American naturalized citizen saint, Mother Frances Cabrini. It was one of the first universities in the United States to make community service a graduation requirement for all undergraduates; it now has a core curriculum centered on social justice which includes their signature classes, Engagements in the Common Good, also known as ECG.
Abstract This study investigated cellular effects of polyinosinic–polycytidylic acid [poly (I:C)] in coelomocytes of the earthworm Eisenia hortensis. Poly (I:C), a double-stranded RNA mimetic and Toll-like receptor 3 agonist, is involved in stimulating antiviral interferon and pro-inflammatory responses of innate immunity. Coelomocytes, the white blood cell equivalents in E. hortensis, were extracted, cultured with poly (I:C), and treated with dihydroethidium (DHE) to determine if pro-inflammatory responses were induced in vitro by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) production using flow cytometry. DHE is a fluorescent marker used for the detection of hydrogen peroxide, a molecular indicator of intracellular pro-inflammatory events. Hyaline amoebocytes were gated to exclude autofluorescent eleocytes. Fluorescence was measured in a flow cytometer, and data were analyzed using WinList software and Microsoft Excel. Significant results obtained in two independent runs for the majority of earthworms tested suggest that poly (I:C) has the capacity to increase pro-inflammatory immune responses in coelomocytes of E. hortensis, as shown by higher levels of ROS production. Future studies could investigate optimization of poly (I:C) concentration and determination of the effects of poly (I:C) on phagocytosis and signaling pathways involved in the innate immune response in this annelid model.
ImportanceActive surveillance (AS) for patients with prostate cancer (PC) often includes fixed repeat prostate biopsies that do not account for the varying risk of reclassification to significant disease. Given the invasive nature and potential complications of biopsies, a personalized approach is needed to balance the burden of biopsies with the risk of missing disease progression.ObjectiveTo develop and externally validate a dynamic model that predicts an individual’s risk of PC reclassification during AS.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis prognostic study developed a dynamic prediction model using data from the Prostate Cancer Research International: Active Surveillance (PRIAS) study, which was initiated in 2006. Follow-up was truncated until April 2023. External validation was conducted using cohorts from the world’s largest centralized AS database, the Global Action Plan Prostate Cancer Active Surveillance initiative database. The PRIAS study is a multicenter, prospective, web-based cohort study monitoring patients undergoing AS, involving more than 175 academic, nonacademic, and private centers across 23 countries worldwide. For the development and external validation of the model, all patients diagnosed with Grade Group 1 PC who underwent at least 1 baseline or follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 1 follow-up biopsy were included. Data were analyzed from September 2023 to January 2024.ExposuresAS, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, MRI, and prostate biopsies according to a fixed follow-up schedule.Main Outcomes and MeasuresA joint model for longitudinal and time-to-event data was used to predict reclassification to Grade Group 2 or greater on repeat biopsy using predefined baseline and repeated clinical characteristics. Performance was assessed using time-dependent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and negative predictive value.ResultsThe development cohort included 2512 patients (median [IQR] age, 65 [59-69] years). Characteristics significantly associated with a higher risk of reclassification were increased age, higher PSA and velocity, lower prostate volume, a suspicious lesion on MRI, and no previous negative biopsy findings. Depending on the threshold and time point used, the model demonstrated a negative predictive value of 86% to 97%. External validation included 3199 patients from 9 other cohorts. The time-dependent area under the curve ranged from 0.81 to 0.84 in the development cohort and 0.52 to 0.90 at external validation.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this prognostic study, the developed dynamic risk model effectively identified patients at low risk of PC reclassification during AS. After prospective validation, this model may support personalized, risk-based AS and reduce the burden of unnecessary biopsies.
Purpose This research advances recent scholarly conversations regarding the role of the physical body in organizational leadership by reviewing, synthesizing and clarifying extant literature on embodied leadership. In doing so, this study aims to advance embodied leadership approaches in the empirical study and practical application of organizational leadership. Design/methodology/approach The authors apply an integrative review (Cronin & George, 2023) of embodiment in the organizational leadership literature to identify three communities of practice in which the concept has been explored, distill findings from each community to identify common themes and then synthesize those themes into an integrative conceptual framework. Findings This study shows that scholarship on embodied leadership is fragmented across three communities of practice: leadership development, leadership aesthetics and leadership emergence. By synthesizing these streams, the authors propose an integrated conceptual definition of embodied leadership as a group-level influence process involving bodily sensing, regulation and leaderlike enactment. Finally, the authors present an integrative conceptual model that clarifies how the body shapes leadership situations and enactments, offering a foundation for future empirical study. Originality/value Embodied leadership approaches are popular in the practices of coaching, organizational development and human resource development, while scientific understanding lags. The authors define embodied leadership and offer an exploratory conceptual model to enable future scholars to further explore the role of the physical body in leadership processes.
Right-sided colon cancer (RCC) and left-sided colon cancer (LCC) differ in features and outcomes because of variations in embryology, epidemiology, pathology, and prognosis. This study sought to identify significant factors impacting patient survival through Bayesian modelling. Data was retrospectively analysed from a colorectal neoplasia database. Data on demographics, perioperative risks, treatment, mortality, and survival was analysed from patients who underwent colon cancer surgery from January 2010 to December 2021. This study involved 2475 patients, with 58.7% having RCC and 41.3% having LCC. RCC patients had a notably higher mortality rate, and their overall survival (OS) rates were slightly lower than those with LCC (P < 0.05). RCC stages I–IV consistently exhibited worse OS and relapse-free survival (RFS) than LCC (P < 0.05). Factors like age, BMI, ASA score, cancer stage, and comorbidities had significant associations with OS and RFS. Poor and moderate differentiation, lower lymph node yield, and organ resection were linked to lower survival while receiving chemotherapy; higher BMI levels and elective surgery were associated with better survival (all P < 0.05). Our study reveals key differences between RCC and LCC, emphasising the impact of age, BMI, ASA score, cancer stage, and comorbidities on patient survival. These findings could inform personalised treatment strategies for colon cancer patients.
The professional identity of scientists has historically been cultivated to value research over teaching, which can undermine initiatives that aim to reform science education. Course-Based Research Experiences (CRE) and the inclusive Research and Education Communities (iREC) are two successful and impactful reform efforts that integrate research and teaching. The aim of this study is to explicate the professional identity of instructors who implement a CRE within an established iREC and to explore how this identity contributes to the success of these programs. 97 CRE instructors from the Science Education Alliance (SEA) iREC participated in a 2-year, multi-stage, qualitative research project that involved weekly reflective journaling, autoethnographic description, small group evaluation and writing, and large-scale community checking. The resulting description of professional identity consisted of shared values (inclusivity, student success, community membership, ownership/agency, science, overcoming failure, and persistence), specified roles (mentor, advocate, scientist, educator, motivator, collaborator, community builder, learner, evaluator and project manager) and a stated sense of self (dedicated, resilient, pride in students, multiskilled, valued, community member, responsible and overworked). Analysis of individual reflective diary entries revealed how a professional identity underpinned and facilitated the ways in which faculty addressed challenges that arose and worked toward the success of every student. It is the self-concept of the professional identity of the instructor in the context of the CRE classroom that directed the extended commitment and effort that these instructors evidently put into their work with students, which facilitated student engagement, student persistence, and their collective scientific output. The study concludes that a professional identity of STEM faculty in the context of a CRE and iREC combines being a researcher and educator, and that this integrated identity is central for current initiatives aimed at transforming undergraduate STEM education.
