Foreign-Born Women's Experiences of Community-Based Doulas in Sweden—A Qualitative Study

We conducted 32 in-depth interviews with 20 rural, low-income, women residing in the United States who were pregnant (n = 12) or 3 months postpartum (n = 8) and had experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Using purposive sampling and the grounded theory method, we generated a conceptual model of coping. The urge to protect the unborn baby was the primary influence for participants’ decisions about separating from or permanently leaving an abusive relationship. Implications include universal screening for IPV in child-bearing women, inquiry into maternal identity development during pregnancy, and improved resource access for rural, low-income women.     

In vivo growth of a bioengineered internal anal sphincter: comparison of growth factors for optimization of growth and survival

Purpose  

Our laboratory has developed and implanted a novel bioengineered internal anal sphincter (IAS) to treat anal incontinence. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) has been used in mice; however, the optimal growth factor for successful IAS implantation is unclear. This study compares several growth factors in order to optimize IAS viability and functionality.     

Abnormal gene expression leads to poor prognosis in breast cancer patients in Bihar

With its highest mortality rate, the breast cancer outruns other gynecological cancers. For a long time, the breast cancer was associated with poor prognosis. But with the advent of analysis of expression level of different protein receptors (ER/PR and Her-2/neu) with the help of immunohistochemistry (IHC) has ushered us to a new era of treatment of cancer called immunotherapy.Tissues sampled from 167 breast cancer patients at pathology labs of Mahavir Cancer Institute & Research Center, S S Hospital and Research Institute and NMCH, Patna, Bihar, India, were processed by a routine protocol.Highest percentage of patients showed ER⁺/PR+ and least percentage of patients were characterized by ER+/PR? (p value <0.0001, hazard ratio, 95 % CI 2.537–21.603). A large number of patients (52.09 %) were classified under luminal C. Interestingly, 25.74 and 44.31 % of total patients aged within 30–50 tend to show ER^?/PR^? and Her-2/neu with p value <0.0081 (hazard ratio, 95 % CI 1.674–6.833) and 0.0313 (hazard ratio, 95 % CI 0.263–1.623), respectively.The present endeavor was to classify the patients for their prognosis on the basis of hormonal and C-erb B2. The failure of the drug in ER?/PR? patients like tamoxifen is not a good sign to the oncologists. Herceptin on the other hand can play a good role in the treatment of greater percentage of patients showing Her-2/neu+. However, implementation of either new prognostic marker or more effective immunotherapy or both are warranted for effective treatment of breast cancer patients.     

Haemorrhagic purpura in an elderly man

You are asked to review an 85 year old man with bullous lesions on the torso and limbs (as shown), which developed after treatment with low‐molecular weight heparin (LMWH), unfractionated heparin (UFH), and furosemide. Based on the given history and the clinical and histological images, what is your diagnosis?     

Rapid generation of multiplexed cell cocultures using acoustic droplet ejection followed by aqueous two-phase exclusion patterning

The development of tools for patterning cocultures of cells is a fundamental interest among cell biologists and tissue engineers. Although a variety of systems exist for micropatterning cells, the methods used to generate cell micropatterns are often cumbersome and difficult to adapt for tissue engineering purposes. This study combines acoustic droplet ejection and aqueous two-phase system exclusion patterning to introduce a method for patterning cocultures of cells in multiplexed arrays. This new method uses focused acoustic radiation pressure to eject discrete droplets of uniform size from the surface of a dextran solution containing cells. The size of droplets is controlled by adjusting ultrasound parameters, such as pulse, duration, and amplitude. The ejected dextran droplets are captured on a cell culture substrate that is manipulated by a computer-controlled 3D positioning system according to predesigned patterns. Polyethylene glycol solution containing an additional cell type is then added to the culture dish to produce a two-phase system capable of depositing different types of cells around the initial pattern of cells. We demonstrate that our method can produce patterns of islands or lines with two or more cell types. Further, we demonstrate that patterns can be multiplexed for studies involving combinations of multiple cell types. This method offers a tool to transfer cell-containing samples in a contact-free, nozzle-less manner, avoiding sample cross-contamination. It can be used to pattern cell cocultures without complicated fabrication of culture substrates. These capabilities were used to examine the response of cancer cells to the presence of a ligand (CXCL12) secreted from surrounding cocultured cells.