A monokine regulates colony-stimulating activity production by vascular endothelial cells

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured in supernatants of peripheral blood monocytes that had been cultured for 3 days with and without lactoferrin. Colony-stimulating activity (CSA) was measured in supernatants of the endothelial cell cultures and appropriate control cultures using normal, T-lymphocyte-depleted, phagocyte-depleted, low- density bone marrow cells in colony growth (CFU-GM) assays. Monocyte- conditioned medium contained a nondialyzable, heat labile factor that enhanced 4-15--fold the production of CSA by endothelial cells. The addition of lactoferrin to monocyte cultures reduced the activity of this monokine by 69%. Lactoferrin did not inhibit CSA production by monokine-stimulated endothelial cells. Therefore, vascular endothelial cells are potent sources of CSA, the production of CSA by these cells is regulated by a stimulatory monokine, and the production and/or release of the monokine is inhibited by lactoferrin, a neutrophil- derived putative feedback inhibitor of granulopoiesis. Inasmuch as a similar monokine is known to stimulate CSA production by fibroblasts and T lymphocytes, we suggest that mononuclear phagocytes play a pivotal role in the regulation of granulopoiesis by recruiting a variety of cell types to produce CSA.     

Social–Emotional Aspects of Male Escorting: Experiences of Men Working for an Agency

Social situations and emotional correlates associated with male sex work have not been well documented. Most of the research in this area focuses on sexual activity with little mention of other aspects of the job. Yet, research with female sex workers finds significant social and emotional components to sex work. The current study focused on how male sex workers (MSWs) perceived and adapted to the social–emotional aspects of their job. As part of a larger project examining MSWs working for a single escort agency, 40 men (M age, 22.3 years, 75 % Caucasian) located in the mid-Atlantic U.S. participated in semi-structured interviews. The agency owner was also interviewed. Participants reported a range of social and emotional factors regarding sex work and employed a variety of strategies to provide good customer service and adapt to negative experiences. For most, social support was inhibited due to fear of stigmatization that might result if participants disclosed sex work to significant others outside the agency. Instead, interactions within the agency provided core work-related social support for most MSWs. Emotional and relational tasks inherent to escort work grew easier with experience and negativity about the job declined. Our data suggested that socially connected individuals seemed to be more satisfied with sex work. Social and emotional requirements represented a significant but unanticipated component of male sex work to which escorts actively adapted. Escorting may be similar to other service occupations in terms of the social–emotional situations and skills involved.     

A Novel Education and Training Program to Enhance Student Advocacy

Objective. To develop and implement a unique student advocacy program to train student pharmacists to be effective advocates for the profession of pharmacy and the patients it serves.Design. The Academy is a 2-day program hosted annually in Washington, DC, that combines didactic presentations on the legislative process, communication with policymakers, current legislation, and active-learning exercises such as mock congressional visits. The Academy culminates with visits to Capitol Hill where students meet with legislators and their staff to discuss pending legislation.Assessment. Nearly 350 students from 43 schools and colleges of pharmacy completed the program in its 4 years. Students are assessed following the active-learning exercises and meetings with legislators.Conclusion. Advocacy has been listed as a competency that requires more attention in pharmacy education. The Academy provides a model that schools may replicate to enhance their advocacy offerings.     

Processing of vestibular inputs by the medullary lateral tegmental field of conscious cats: implications for generation of motion sickness

The dorsolateral reticular formation of the caudal medulla, the lateral tegmental field (LTF), participates in generating vomiting. LTF neurons exhibited complex responses to vestibular stimulation in decerebrate cats, indicating that they received converging inputs from a variety of labyrinthine receptors. Such a convergence pattern of vestibular inputs is appropriate for a brain region that participates in generating motion sickness. Since responses of brainstem neurons to vestibular stimulation can differ between decerebrate and conscious animals, the current study examined the effects of whole-body rotations in vertical planes on the activity of LTF neurons in conscious felines. Wobble stimuli, fixed-amplitude tilts, the direction of which moves around the animal at a constant speed, were used to determine the response vector orientation, and also to ascertain whether neurons had spatial–temporal convergence (STC) behavior (which is due to the convergence of vestibular inputs with different spatial and temporal properties). The proportion of LTF neurons with STC behavior in conscious animals (25 %) was similar to that in decerebrate cats. Far fewer neurons in other regions of the feline brainstem had STC behavior, confirming findings that many LTF neurons receive converging inputs from a variety of labyrinthine receptors. However, responses to vertical plane vestibular stimulation were considerably different in decerebrate and conscious felines for LTF neurons lacking STC behavior. In decerebrate cats, most LTF neurons had graviceptive responses to rotations, similar to those of otolith organ afferents. However, in conscious animals, the response properties were similar to those of semicircular canal afferents. These differences show that higher centers of the brain that are removed during decerebration regulate the labyrinthine inputs relayed to the LTF, either by gating connections in the brainstem or by conveying vestibular inputs directly to the region.