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(1) This study aims to examine the prevalence of depression and its correlation with Acculturative Stress and Social Connectedness among domestic and international students in an international university in Japan. (2) Methods: A Web-based survey was distributed among several classes of students of the university, which yielded 268 responses. On the survey, a nine-item tool from the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Social Connectedness Scale (SCS) and Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS) were used together with socio-demographic data. (3) Results: The prevalence of depression was higher among international than domestic students (37.81% and 29.85%, respectively). English language proficiency and student age (20 years old) showed a significant correlation with depression among domestic students (β = −1.63, p = 0.038 and β = 2.24, p = 0.048). Stay length (third year) also displayed a significant correlation with depression among international students (β = 1.08, p = 0.032). Among international and domestic students, a statistically significant positive correlation between depression and acculturative stress, and negative associations of social connectedness with depression and acculturative stress were also found. (4) Conclusions: The high prevalence of depression, and its association with Acculturation stress and Social Connectedness, among the students in this study highlight the importance of implementing support programs which consider the role of Acculturation and Social Connectedness.

Cyclin D1 is a target molecule transcriptionally activated by aberrant β-catenin in Wnt signalling, while prolyl isomerase Pin1 promotes cyclin D1 overexpression directly or through accumulation of β-catenin in cancer cells. This study aimed to elucidate whether Pin1 was involved in cyclin D1 overexpression and aberrant β-catenin in thyroid tumourigenesis by examining 14 follicular adenomas (FAa) and 14 papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs). All PTCs displayed cyclin D1 overexpression and strong cytoplasmic β-catenin and/or decreased membrane β-catenin expression by immunohistochemistry. Overexpression of cyclin D1 mRNA was observed in 45.5% of FAs and 54.5% of PTCs by TaqMan real-time PCR. Pin1 expression was observed in PTC by immunostaining and was confirmed by reverse transcriptase-PCR. There was a strong correlation between cyclin D1 and Pin1/cytoplasmic/membrane β-catenin expression (p < 0.001), and between Pin1 and cytoplasmic (p < 0.001)/membrane (p = 0.002) β-catenin expression in thyroid tumours. Mutation of the β-catenin gene could not be detected in PTC. Western blot analysis demonstrated high levels of cyclin D1 and β-catenin as well as Pin1 expression in a human PTC cell line possessing wild-type β-catenin and APC genes. This study suggests that both cyclin D1 overexpression and aberrant β-catenin expression are of significance in thyroid tumours. Pin1 expression appears to correlate closely with the level of cyclin D1 and aberrant β-catenin expression in thyroid tumours such as FA and PTC. Pin1 may be an important factor in regulating cyclin D1 and β-catenin expression during thyroid carcinogenesis.

Defective DNA damage response (DDR) can result in genomic instability (GIN) and lead to the transformation into cancer. P53-binding protein 1 (53BP1) belongs to a family of evolutionarily conserved DDR proteins. Because 53BP1 molecules localize at the sites of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and rapidly form nuclear foci, the presence of 53BP1 foci can be considered as a cytologic marker for endogenous DSBs reflecting GIN. Although it has been proposed that GIN has a crucial role in the progression of thyroid neoplasms, the significance of GIN during thyroid tumorigenesis remains unclear, particularly in patients. We analyzed, therefore, the level of GIN, as detected with immunofluorescence of 53BP1, in 40 cases of resected thyroid tissues. This study demonstrated a number of nuclear 53BP1 foci in thyroid cancers, suggesting a constitutive activation of DDR in thyroid cancer cells. Because follicular adenoma also showed a few 53BP1 nuclear foci, GIN might be induced at a precancerous stage of thyroid tumorigenesis. Furthermore, high-grade thyroid cancers prominently exhibited an intense and heterogeneous nuclear staining of 53BP1 immunoreactivity, which was also observed in radiation-associated cancers and in mouse colonic crypts as a delayed response to a high dose ionizing radiation, suggesting increased GIN with progression of cancer. Thus, the present study demonstrated a difference in the staining pattern of 53BP1 during thyroid carcinogenesis. We propose that immunofluorescence analysis of 53BP1 expression can be a useful tool to estimate the level of GIN and, simultaneously, the malignant potency of human thyroid tumors. ' 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Key words: thyroid cancer; genomic instability; 53BP1; ATM; immunofluorescence DNA damage response (DDR) genes, such as p53, are frequently mutated in human cancer. Defective DDR responses can thus result in genomic instability (GIN) and lead to the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells. Thyroid cancer has been shown to display aneuploidy, one form of GIN. 1 It has been proposed that GIN has a crucial role in the progression of thyroid neoplasms. 2 Thus, transfection of mutant HRAS V12 or mutant BRAF V600E induced GIN in a rat thyroid cell line, manifesting as loss of chromosomal material, mitotic bridge formation and misaligned chromosomes. 3-5 Recently, we found RET oncogene amplification in human thyroid cancers. 6 Oncogene amplification is common in solid tumors and correlates with a poor prognosis for patients with ovarian cancer (HER-2/neu), breast cancer (C-MYC, HER-2/neu), neuroblastoma (N-MYC), or small cell lung cancer (C-MYC). [7][8][9][10] In thyroid cancers, RET amplification correlated with radiation-induced and high-grade malignancy, providing further evidence for the involvement of GIN in tumor progression. 6 P53-binding protein 1 (53BP1) belongs to a family of evolutionarily conserved DDR proteins with C-terminal BRCT domains. 11,12 The ataxia-teleangiactasis mutated (ATM) DDR kinase is well known as a sensor molecule for DNA damage. Both...

Stress and depression can be seen as the major obstacles for sustained education and attainment of foreign students, and in turn, the sustainability of an education system as a whole. However, the mainstream consideration following Berry’s model on acculturation does not take into account whether students of the host countries are immune to these problems. This study aims to examine the prevalence and predictors of help-seeking behaviors among international and domestic students in a multicultural environment by employing ANOVA and polynomial regression. Some significant results from this study are: (1) Informal sources were the most prevalent sources of help-seeking among international and domestic students, while formal help-seeking was not popular; (2) international students were more likely to overcome emotional difficulties alone and seek help on the Internet than domestic students; (3) acculturative stress was a positive predictor of formal, informal, and miscellaneous help-seeking behaviors among international students and informal help-seeking behaviors or among domestic students; and (4) depression was negatively correlated with the willingness of international students to seek help from informal sources. The findings hint at the risk of acculturative stress faced by domestic students in a multicultural environment being overlooked and the lack of help-seeking sources for international students. The study also provides empirical evidence for policy-planners to design a sustainable education system better at supporting students dealing with depression and acculturative stress.