Understanding Suffering and Emotion in Chinese Earthquake Survivors: Environment, Society, Body-Mind, and Spirituality.

Research on posttraumatic experiences has focused heavily on emotional experiences based on predetermined psychopathological standards. In contrast, victims' subjective experiences-especially of indigenous populations-are scarcely discussed. This study used a narrative approach to examine the experiences of 22 Sichuan earthquake survivors who were diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. Victims completed semistructured interviews regarding their overall experiences, and analysis of narrative was employed to analyze the data. The current study found that the earthquake brought significant changes to participant lives regarding their (i) environment, (ii) society, (iii) body-mind, and (iv) spiritual dynamics. Each of these key themes and its practical and theoretical implications are discussed along with suggestions for further development and practices of culturally sensitive mental health services for earthquake survivors in China.

Effect of Cultural Identification and Family Affection on Coping Abilities in Missionary Kids.

This exploratory study examined the role of missionary kids' (MKs) cultural identification and family affection on their abilities to cope with potentially traumatic events. A total of 156 MKs completed online questionnaires that assessed parental affection, cultural identification, and coping. The results demonstrated that greater verbal affection from mothers was related to increased coping for Western-identified MKs, whereas greater non-verbal forms of affection from mothers were related to increased coping for Asian-identified MKs. Another key finding was the distinction between MKs' ethnicity and cultural identification. This emphasizes the importance of understanding MKs' cultural identification as distinct, rather than congruent, to their ethnic background.

Downregulation of HER3 by a novel antisense oligonucleotide, EZN-3920, improves the antitumor activity of EGFR and HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors in animal models.

Among the four human EGF receptor (HER) family members (EGFR, HER2, HER3, HER4), HER3 is of particular interest as it interacts with HER2 and EGFR via heterodimerization and is a key link to the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signal transduction axis. Recent studies indicate that HER3 plays a critical role in mediating resistance to agents that target EGFR or HER2. As HER3 lacks significant kinase activity and cannot be inhibited by tyrosine kinase inhibitors, neutralizing antibodies and alternative inhibitors of HER3 have been sought as cancer therapeutics. We describe here a locked nucleic acid (LNA)-based HER3 antisense oligonucleotide, EZN-3920, that specifically downmodulated the expression of HER3, which was associated with growth inhibition. EZN-3920 effectively downmodulated HER3 expression, HER3-driven PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and growth in tumors derived from BT474M1 breast and HCC827 lung carcinoma cell lines, which overexpress HER2 and EGFR, respectively. Furthermore, when EZN-3920 was coadministered with gefitinib or lapatinib in xenograft tumor models, enhanced antitumor activity compared with the effect of monotherapy was found. The effect was associated with a blockade of induced HER3 mRNA expression caused by lapatinib or gefitinib treatment. Finally, EZN-3920 sustained its antiproliferative effect in trastuzumab-resistant cells and three independently derived gefitinib-resistant cells. Our findings show that downmodulation of HER3 by EZN-3920 leads to the suppression of tumor growth in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that HER3 can be an effective target for the treatment of various cancers that have been activated by HER3 alone or where HER3 activation is associated with EGFR or HER2 expression.

Reduced expression of the androgen receptor by third generation of antisense shows antitumor activity in models of prostate cancer.

The androgen receptor (AR) is a member of a unique class of transcription factors because it contains a ligand-binding domain that, when activated, results in nuclear translocation and the transcriptional activation of genes associated with prostate cancer development. Although androgen deprivation therapies are effective initially for the treatment of prostate cancer, the disease eventually relapses and progresses to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Nonetheless, the AR still plays a critical role because late-stage investigational agents that deplete testosterone (abiraterone) or block ligand binding (MDV3100) can still control tumor growth in patients with CRPC. These findings indicate that downmodulation of AR expression may provide a complementary strategy for treating CRPC. In this article, we describe a novel, locked, nucleic acid-based antisense oligonucleotide, designated EZN-4176. When administered as a single agent, EZN-4176 specifically downmodulated AR mRNA and protein, and this was coordinated with inhibition of the growth of both androgen-sensitive and CRPC tumors in vitro as well as in animal models. The effect was specific because no effect on growth was observed with a control antisense oligonucleotide that does not recognize AR mRNA, nor on tumors derived from the PC3, AR-negative, tumor cell line. In addition, EZN-4176 reduced AR luciferase reporter activity in a CRPC model derived from C4-2b cells that were implanted intratibially, indicating that the molecule may control prostate cancer that has metastasized to the bone. These data, together with the continued dependency of CRPC on the AR signaling pathway, justify the ongoing phase I evaluation of EZN-4176 in patients with CRPC.

Challenges and coping styles of fathers as primary medical caretakers: a multicultural qualitative study.

Research has focused heavily on mother's experiences of children with life-threatening illnesses. In contrast, fathers' experiences, especially among minorities, are scarcely discussed. This study examined the experiences of 15 fathers as primary medical caretakers of children diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell disease. Using a life story method, fathers completed semistructured interviews regarding their overall experiences. Data was analyzed using narrative analysis with multiple case studies. Results indicated single, low socioeconomic status, and immigrant fathers with limited English proficiencies were at highest risk for coping difficulties. This study also examined gender biases that men experienced and masculine norms in coping.