No abstract

These results suggest that either ERK or p38 MAP-kinase are involved in the activation of both cPLA2 and NADPH oxidase, and that cPLA2 is required for activation of the NADPH oxidase by Ang II in human neutrophils.

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain cancer in children. Since previous studies have mainly focused on alterations in the coding genome, our understanding of the contribution of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) to medulloblastoma biology is just emerging. Using patient‐derived data, we show that the promoter of lncRNA TP73‐AS1 is hypomethylated and that the transcript is highly expressed in the SHH subgroup. Furthermore, high expression of TP73‐AS1 is correlated with poor outcome in patients with TP53 wild‐type SHH tumors. Silencing TP73‐AS1 in medulloblastoma tumor cells induced apoptosis, while proliferation and migration were inhibited in culture. In vivo, silencing TP73‐AS1 in medulloblastoma tumor cells resulted in reduced tumor growth, reduced proliferation of tumor cells, increased apoptosis and led to prolonged survival of tumor‐bearing mice. Together, our study suggests that the lncRNA TP73‐AS1 is a prognostic marker and therapeutic target in medulloblastoma tumors and serves as a proof of concept that lncRNAs are important factors in the disease.

No abstract

Euthanasia and physician assisted-suicide are terms used to describe the process in which a doctor of a sick or disabled individual engages in an activity which directly or indirectly leads to their death. This behavior is engaged by the healthcare provider based on their humanistic desire to end suffering and pain. The psychiatrist's involvement may be requested in several distinct situations including evaluation of patient capacity when an appeal for euthanasia is requested on grounds of terminal somatic illness or when the patient is requesting euthanasia due to mental suffering. We compare attitudes of 49 psychiatrists towards euthanasia and assisted suicide with a group of 54 other physicians by means of a questionnaire describing different patients, who either requested physician-assisted suicide or in whom euthanasia as a treatment option was considered, followed by a set of questions relating to euthanasia implementation. When controlled for religious practice, psychiatrists expressed more conservative views regarding euthanasia than did physicians from other medical specialties. Similarly female physicians and orthodox physicians indicated more conservative views. Differences may be due to factors inherent in subspecialty education. We suggest that in light of the unique complexity and context of patient euthanasia requests, based on their training and professional expertise psychiatrists are well suited to take a prominent role in evaluating such requests to die and making a decision as to the relative importance of competing variables.