Linda Van Research Articles

Political Affairs of the Heart: Female Travel Writers, the Sentimental Travelogue, and Revolution, 1775–1800 by Linda Van Netten Blimke (review)

Political Affairs of the Heart: Female Travel Writers, the Sentimental Travelogue, and Revolution, 1775–1800 by Linda Van Netten Blimke (review)

Abstract PR016: Largescale organoid panel drug screening to short-track clinically-relevant output

Abstract Introduction Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) have emerged over the last decade as representative in vitro replicas of tumor biology, bringing increased accuracy in predicting clinical outcomes based on pre-clinical results. Large and deeply characterized organoid biobanks, covering broad varieties in indications and genetic backgrounds, have been generated that allow large scale (combination) drug testing, reliable biomarker predictions, and improved drug repurposing and patient stratification studies. However, relatively long timelines and high expenses hold the organoids back to live up to their promise. To overcome these hurdles, we have optimized processes, and here present a largescale organoid panel drug screening platform consisting of over 50 organoid models that predicts drug responses across at least seven indications in a robust, but also fast and cost-efficient manner. Methods Colorectal, breast, lung, pancreatic, ovarian, cervix and melanoma organoid models were selected for subtype and driver mutation variety, banked in large batches, and preserved in an assay-ready format to reduce lead-in time and organoid expansion phase. Drug responses of the full organoid panel were characterized with standard of care compounds (cisplatin, gemcitabine and paclitaxel) and AMG510 targeted therapy (KRAS G12C inhibitor, sotorasib) by measuring ATP levels after a 5-day exposure using a 9-dose curve. Experiments were executed using automated liquid handling equipment to standardize procedures and increase consistency. Control variability (CV), Z-factors and assay windows were calculated to assess assay performance, and IC50 values and area under the curves (AUC) were calculated to express drug sensitivity. Experiments were repeated in multiple labs to test for assay robustness. Results The largescale panel screening platform exhibits a high average assay performance, with high Z-factors (>0.6), low intra- and interplate variability (CV <15%) and reproducible IC50 outputs. Data report of the full panel was prepared within 6 weeks of project kick-off; shortening timelines compared to regular organoid screens over 6-fold, from months to weeks. Using IC50 values and AUC, drug sensitivity testing distinguished sensitive from partially and insensitive models, and models with specific genetic features (KRAS G12C vs G12X) behaved as expected when a AMG510 therapy was tested. Conclusion and Discussion Assay-ready organoid technology-based largescale panel screening as presented here has resulted in efficient timeline and cost reductions and will therefore further harness the large potential of PDO technology in the drug development pipeline. Largescale organoid panel screening enables identification of drug synergy by testing drug combinations. With the majority of included models also being available as PDX models, it will facilitate a seamless translation into subsequent in vivo studies. Moreover, combining panel screens with advanced biomarker analysis will allow early patient stratification, further aiding clinical development of novel oncology drugs. Citation Format: Liza Wijler, Annelot Staes, Linda van Seeters, Lama Alhaj Hasan, Bram Herpers, Leo Price, Mariusz Madej, Michiel Fokkelman, Xiaoxi Xu, Marrit Putker. Largescale organoid panel drug screening to short-track clinically-relevant output [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC Virtual International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2023 Oct 11-15; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2023;22(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PR016.

Political Affairs of the Heart: Female Travel Writers, the Sentimental Travelogue, and Revolution, 1775–1800 by Linda Van Netten Blimke

<i>Political Affairs of the Heart: Female Travel Writers, the Sentimental Travelogue, and Revolution, 1775–1800</i> by Linda Van Netten Blimke

Abstract 2822: Maximizing radiotherapy impact: a novel pre-clinical platform for screening of radiosensitizing agents in patient-derived tumor organoids

Abstract Introduction: Radiotherapy (RT) is widely used for various cancer types, however, radiotoxicity in healthy neighbouring tissues remains challenging. To optimize effectiveness of current therapeutic regimens, there is a clinical need to enhance radiotherapy-mediated killing by radiosensitizing agents. Radiosensitizers show great potential by accelerating DNA damage, production of free radicals and disturbing cell cycle processes by induction of cytostatic and -toxic effects, but pre-clinical drug efficacy testing methods are limited. Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) have emerged as clinically relevant in vitro screening tools to enable drug discovery for specific mutational and molecular subtypes of many cancer indications. Although some radiosensitizing agents have been identified, potential radiosensitizing effects of standard of care as well as novel anti-cancer drugs remain largely unknown. Here, we present a unique screening platform that enables radiosensitizer discovery by showing in-depth insight in cytostatic-and toxic changes and RT-drug synergy. Methods: Twelve PDO models from colorectal, pancreas, breast, lung, melanoma, cervical and ovarian tumors were screened for responsiveness to potential radiosensitizing agents using our organoid screening platforms. PDOs were seeded in 384-wells format in suspension or 3D gel (for cell-titer-glo (CTG) or imaging purposes) and compound exposure (three concentrations) was performed prior to irradiation (0, 2, 4, 6, 10 Gy). Cell viability data was obtained using both CTG-based assays and high content imaging (HCI)-based assay. Assay robustness and reproducibility were ensured (Z-scores &amp;lt;0.6, reproducible IC50 values). To assess radiosensitizing effects, data was normalized to non-irradiated control conditions. Morphological changes were assessed using HCI. Results: Clear differences in radiosensitivity were observed, with six out of twelve PDOs showing sensitivity to 10 Gy RT (&amp;lt;30% viability), one breast, two melanoma and two lung PDOs showing limited sensitivity (47-86% viability) and one ovarian PDO showing no response to RT (98% viability). A wide range of responses to the chemo-irradiation treatments were observed, with oxaliplatin exhibiting radiosensitizing effects in cervical and colorectal PDOs, gemcitabine in cervical PDOs and docetaxel showing radioprotective properties in melanoma PDO. Conclusion and Discussion: Our novel platform for testing potential radiosensitizing anti-cancer agents holds great promise for advanced drug discovery in a clinically relevant and readily available PDO panel, harbouring a wide range of RT-sensitive to insensitive models. CTG and HCI read-outs offer both fast and in-depth assessment of cytotoxic and cytostatic effects and organoid morphology, creating omnipotent potential for tailored compound screening of radiosensitizers. Citation Format: Liza Wijler, Jara Garcia, Muntaser Abdulrahman, Linda van Seters, My Nguyen, Annelot Staes, Bram Herpers, Leo Price, Marrit Putker. Maximizing radiotherapy impact: a novel pre-clinical platform for screening of radiosensitizing agents in patient-derived tumor organoids [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2822.

Abstract 62: Untangling the connection between stress and metastatic breast cancer

Abstract There is emerging evidence that exposure to chronic stress is associated with increased risk of metastasis and poor survival in cancer patients. However, the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the effects of stress on tumor progression remain unclear. To determine how stress promotes metastasis, we established new mouse models in which multiple chronic stress exposure promoted breast cancer metastasis to the lungs. We found that chronic stress generates a pro-metastatic lung microenvironment with e.g., reduced T cell infiltration and increased extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and neutrophil infiltration. Among them, neutrophils were required for these changes as their depletion abolished the pro-metastatic effects of stress and normalized the lung tumor microenvironment. Mechanistically, we analyzed neutrophils from chronically stressed mice and identified dramatically altered transcriptomes, including increased expression of several glucocorticoid receptor regulated genes. Phenotypically, neutrophils from stress exposed mice exhibited increased ROS production, and an increased ability to inhibit T cell activation and to form spontaneous neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). The stress-associated changes to neutrophils were dependent on glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling as neutrophil-specific GR knockout mice showed no increase in NET-formation, a normalized lung microenvironment and no increase in lung metastasis upon stress exposure. Among the changes in the neutrophils caused by stress exposure, we found that the formation of pro-metastatic NETs was critical as directly digesting NETs with DNase I prevented stress-induced metastasis and normalized the lung microenvironment. In sum, this work shows that chronic stress exposure causes a glucocorticoid-mediated increase in NET formation and that NETs are critical drivers in the establishment of a stress-induced, metastasis-promoting microenvironment. Targeting NETs could be an important strategy to prevent metastatic recurrence in cancer patients, many of whom will experience stress due to their cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatments. Citation Format: Xue-Yan He, David Ng, Yuan Gao, Evdokia Michalopoulou, Shanu George, Jose M. Adrover, Lijuan Sun, Jean Albrengues, Ledong Wan, Xiao Han, Christopher Vakoc, Linda Van Aelst, Mikala Egeblad. Untangling the connection between stress and metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 62.

Abstract 198: Pan-cancer assay-ready organoid drug screening with robust, reproducible and clinically-relevant output

Abstract Introduction The pharmaceutical industry has mostly relied on 2D cancer cell lines and 3D spheroids for in vitro testing, but poor correlation of pre-clinical and clinical outcomes has driven the development of more predictive models. Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) have emerged as representative in vitro avatars of tumor biology, allowing the generation of biobanks covering a large variety in indications and genetic backgrounds. Here, we assess the robustness of our drug screening platform by testing the reproducibility of our organoid assays within and between organoid batches, read-outs, and different labs. We present an assay-ready organoid platform, allowing short timelines, repeated assays from a single batch of organoids, high throughput assays and large panel screens. Methods Colorectal, breast, lung, pancreatic, ovarian, cervix and melanoma PDO models were selected for subtype and driver mutation variety, banked in large batches, and preserved in assay-ready format. Outgrowth and drug responses of these batches were compared to those of organoids produced in the classic method. Experiments were executed using automated liquid handling equipment to standardize procedures and increase consistency. Performance of the drug screens were assessed by repeated drug sensitivity testing and by calculating intra- and interplate variability, control variability (CV), Z-factor, assay windows and IC50 values. Moreover, drug responses were tested in both celltiterglo-based and high content imaging-based assays. Results Assay performance of the organoid drug testing platform was high, with high Z-factors (&amp;gt;0.6), and low intra- and interplate variability (CV &amp;lt;15%) indicating reproducible assays. Both the classic and assay-ready organoid technologies resulted in highly reproducible IC50outputs, also when assays were executed months apart or in different labs. Timelines were shortened from months to weeks, and the reduced logistical burden allows screening of large organoid panels of &amp;gt;50 models. Drug sensitivity testing in our fast-paced panel screening platform distinguished sensitive from partially and insensitive models, illustrating how organoids allow patient stratification. Conclusion and Discussion The assay-ready organoid technology presented here has further improved our already highly predictive and reproducible organoid drug testing platform. The resulting short timelines and large panel screening capabilities will further unlock the great potential of PDO technology. Using large organoid panels in pre-clinical drug development and in combination with biomarker analysis will allow identification of responsive indications, subtypes, and genotypes, and for early patient stratification. Moreover, as most models presented in our panel screen platform are also available as PDX models, it allows for easy translation into in vivo follow-up studies. Citation Format: Liza Wijler, Jara Garcia Mateos, My Nguyen, Annelot Staes, Linda van Seters, Lama Alhaj Hasan, Victor Tiroille, Bram Herpers, Leo Price, Mariusz Madej, Michiel Fokkelman, Marrit Putker. Pan-cancer assay-ready organoid drug screening with robust, reproducible and clinically-relevant output [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 198.

The Conservative Heartland: A Political History of the Postwar American Midwest ed. by Jon K. Lauck and Catherine McNicol Stock

Reviewed by: The Conservative Heartland: A Political History of the Postwar American Midwest ed. by Jon K. Lauck and Catherine McNicol Stock Linda Van Ingen Jon K. Lauck and Catherine McNicol Stock, eds., The Conservative Heartland: A Political History of the Postwar American Midwest. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2020. 390 pp. $29.95 (paper). The Conservative Heartland is an ambitious effort to elevate the political significance of midwestern conservatism and revive the historiography of the region with its complicated political landscape. Seventeen essays range from studies of the anti-statist conservatism that emerged following World War II to the impact of religion on politics, the political fallout of economic and demographic dislocations, and the tumultuous politics of race and gender. The need to define both "Midwest" and "conservatism" complicates this effort, and the editors accordingly allow for a broad definition of each. "Conservatism" is a response to New Deal liberalism, and the Midwest is a region of twelve contiguous states (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota) from which scholars can further define the parameters of their respective studies. In a comprehensive introduction, Jon Lauck and Catherine McNicol Stock summarize each essay while also offering an overview of midwestern conservatism that challenges the conventional assumption of a so–called liberal "blue wall" that was supposed to hold for Democrats in 2016. Political strategists, blindsided by Donald Trump's wins in Michigan and Wisconsin, failed to recognize the political volatility of the region. This [End Page 101] book addresses that problem, underscoring the Midwest's competitiveness. Although expanding the scholarship on the breadth and depth of the region's conservatism through their individual essays, the featured authors collectively agree that the Midwest is a political battleground that should not be assumed. The first three articles take different approaches to explore the region's competitiveness. Michael Barone's historical analysis identifies three "heritage factors" (the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and founding of the Republican Party in 1854, and labor strikes in the late 1930s) that shape political alignments and cultural attitudes of midwestern voters. Kyle Kondik applies a statistical analysis of presidential deviation in voting from 1976 to 2016 to reveal a political volatility in the region. Daniel Birdsong and Christopher Devine argue that although the Midwest lost much of what made it historically significant in presidential politics (including the size of its electorate, being home to presidential candidates, and hosting national party conventions) it is still a political battleground when measured in terms of media attention, campaign activity, and a "battleground score" calculated to measure electoral competitiveness. All three articles support the book's overall thesis that the Midwest is politically competitive because of significant variations over time and place. Authors of the remaining essays generally agree that midwestern conservatism grew with deep social and fiscal shifts that help explain Trump's appeal in 2016. For example, A. James Fuller explores how Indiana's Mitch Daniels, governor from 2005 to 2013, pursued a fiscally conservative pragmatism emulated by subsequent governors including future vice president Mike Pence. Daniels privatized many government services including toll roads and state prisons. Demands for more prisons were central to Ian Toller-Clark's racial analysis of Wisconsin's working class following decades of liberal criminal justice reform, a development he calls "carceral populism" with wide appeal to conservative voters. Most striking is Catherine McNicol Stock's analysis of how private investment in North Dakota's public sphere influenced public policy. She details the history of how a wealthy benefactor built an ice hockey arena at the University of North Dakota in the 1990s and subsequently wielded control over many university decisions. Stock connects this example to the state's largely unregulated fracking industry and the power of corporate investment over public policy, including environmental concerns and Indigenous rights. Although Stock does not overtly make the claim, it is not hard to connect her work on the "new" [End Page 102] North Dakota with its pro-business agenda to the state's support of Trump in 2016. Several essays address the impact of feminist and gender issues on midwestern conservatism. Ann Marie Wambeke explores...

Nuria Yáñez-Bouza, Emma Moore, Linda van Bergen and Willem B. Hollmann (eds.). 2019.Categories, Constructions, and Change in English Syntax.Studies in English Language. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press, xix + 403 pp., 38 figures, 45 tables, £ 95.00.

Article Nuria Yáñez-Bouza, Emma Moore, Linda van Bergen and Willem B. Hollmann (eds.). 2019. Categories, Constructions, and Change in English Syntax. Studies in English Language. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press, xix + 403 pp., 38 figures, 45 tables, £ 95.00. was published on June 1, 2021 in the journal Anglia (volume 139, issue 2).

Editorial: Self-enquiry as an intrapersonal means to promoting scholarship of professional development: Our quest for new meaning making

Editorial: Self-enquiry as an intrapersonal means to promoting scholarship of professional development: Our quest for new meaning making

Review: Gendered Politics: Campaign Strategies of California Women Candidates, 1912–1970 by Linda Van Ingen

Review: Gendered Politics: Campaign Strategies of California Women Candidates, 1912–1970 by Linda Van Ingen

Gendered Politics: Campaign Strategies of California Women Candidates, 1912–1970

In June 1998 the Los Angeles Times reported that Leona Egeland was the first woman elected to California's state assembly. Evelyn Hughes Maslac challenged that statement, noting that her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Hughes, had been elected to the assembly in 1918. This gaffe in chronology illustrates the central message of Gendered Politics. From 1912 to 1970 over five hundred women campaigned elective office in California, some successfully, yet few beyond their families remember their names. Linda Van Ingen corrects this “recurring historical amnesia” with a detailed study of California women's efforts to gain and hold elected office (p. xv). Ingen picks up where Linda Witt, Karen M. Paget, and Glenna Matthews's Running as a Woman: Gender and Power in American Politics (1995) leaves off. She details individual women's determined assault on electoral politics by documenting fifty-eight years of California primary races. Ingen supplements these records with newspapers, memoirs, correspondence, promotional materials, and candidates' financial statements.

Violent Conversion: Brazilian Pentecostalism and Urban Women in Mozambique, written by Linda van de Kamp

Violent Conversion: Brazilian Pentecostalism and Urban Women in Mozambique, written by Linda van de Kamp

Violent Conversion. Brazilian Pentecostalism and Urban Women in Mozambique, by Linda Van de Kamp

Violent Conversion. Brazilian Pentecostalism and Urban Women in Mozambique, by Linda Van de Kamp

Measuring Botanical Supplement Use among Hispanics/Latinos in the United States: A Comparison of Methods in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary MedicineVol. 20, No. 5 Research MethodologyMeasuring Botanical Supplement Use among Hispanics/Latinos in the United States: A Comparison of Methods in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)Keturah Faurot, Anna-Maria Siega-Riz, Paula Gardiner, José O. Rivera, Laura Young, Hector González, Janice Barnhart, Sheila Casteneda, Diana Chirinos, Martha Daviglus, Rebeca Espinoza, Gregory Talavera, Linda Van Horn, Eric Whitsel, and M. Larissa Avilés-SantaKeturah FaurotSearch for more papers by this author, Anna-Maria Siega-RizSearch for more papers by this author, Paula GardinerSearch for more papers by this author, José O. RiveraSearch for more papers by this author, Laura YoungSearch for more papers by this author, Hector GonzálezSearch for more papers by this author, Janice BarnhartSearch for more papers by this author, Sheila CastenedaSearch for more papers by this author, Diana ChirinosSearch for more papers by this author, Martha DaviglusSearch for more papers by this author, Rebeca EspinozaSearch for more papers by this author, Gregory TalaveraSearch for more papers by this author, Linda Van HornSearch for more papers by this author, Eric WhitselSearch for more papers by this author, and M. Larissa Avilés-SantaSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:7 May 2014https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2014.5364.abstractAboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View article"Measuring Botanical Supplement Use among Hispanics/Latinos in the United States: A Comparison of Methods in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)." The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 20(5), p. A136FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 20Issue 5May 2014 InformationCopyright 2014, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Keturah Faurot, Anna-Maria Siega-Riz, Paula Gardiner, José O. Rivera, Laura Young, Hector González, Janice Barnhart, Sheila Casteneda, Diana Chirinos, Martha Daviglus, Rebeca Espinoza, Gregory Talavera, Linda Van Horn, Eric Whitsel, and M. Larissa Avilés-Santa.Measuring Botanical Supplement Use among Hispanics/Latinos in the United States: A Comparison of Methods in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.May 2014.A136-A136.http://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2014.5364.abstractPublished in Volume: 20 Issue 5: May 7, 2014PDF download

Mel Avery: Mentor, Role Model, Friend, Mother of Us all.

Mel Avery: Mentor, Role Model, Friend, Mother of Us all.

Abstract 34: Relationships between biomarkers of diet, one-carbon metabolism, and inflammation within the Women's Health Initiative observational study.

Abstract Background: Folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism is essential for DNA synthesis, repair, and methylation. Perturbations in associated biomarkers have been implicated in increased risk of colorectal cancer. Inflammation, especially related to inflammatory bowel disease, is also implicated as a risk factor for colorectal cancer, and one-carbon nutrients, particularly vitamins B6 and B12, may directly affect inflammatory processes. A concurrent investigation of these two interrelated pathways could yield new information regarding relationships between inflammatory processes and one-carbon metabolism. Objective: To investigate correlations between nutritional, inflammatory, and one-carbon metabolism biomarkers. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to explore correlations between biomarkers of nutrition, inflammation and one-carbon metabolism in 1,976 women selected from the 93,676 participants in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. Nutritional biomarkers included vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5'-phosphate [PLP]), vitamin B12, plasma folate, and red blood cell (RBC) folate. C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) were used as biomarkers of inflammation. Homocysteine and cysteine levels were measured as integrated biomarkers of one-carbon metabolism. All biomarkers were measured using established methods from samples obtained at baseline. SAS 9.2 was used to perform Student's t, Chi-squared, and Spearman rank correlation tests, along with multivariate linear regressions adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI), to explore the relationships between the biomarkers, with statistical significance at p&amp;lt;0.05. Results: Plasma PLP was the only nutritional one-carbon metabolism biomarker to show significant inverse correlations with both CRP and SAA (r=-0.22, -0.12 respectively; p&amp;lt;0.0001). A similar result was also observed when PLP [nmol/L] was regressed on CRP [mg/L] and SAA [mg/L] (adjusted regression coefficient [β]=-1.41, -0.89 respectively; p&amp;lt;0.0001). While cysteine [μmol/L] was significantly correlated with PLP and plasma folate, and showed a significant association with CRP (β=-2.19, p&amp;lt;0.0001), homocysteine [μmol/L] showed significant inverse correlations with all nutritional biomarkers, and was significantly associated with both CRP (β=19.86, p=0.003) and SAA (β=25.62, p&amp;lt;0.0001). Conclusions: Biomarkers of inflammation are associated with concentrations of PLP, cysteine and homocysteine. While these associations between the biomarkers of inflammation, diet, and one-carbon metabolism are promising, determining causality is an important next step. Citation Format: Michael J. Paskow, Clare Abbenhardt, Joshua W. Miller, Xiaoling Song, Elissa C. Brown, Ting-Yuan David Cheng, Mark H. Wener, Yingye Zheng, Adetunji T. Toriola, Marian L. Neuhouser, Shirley A. A. Beresford, Karen Makar, Lynn B. Bailey, David R. Maneval, Ralph Green, JoAnn Manson, Linda Van Horn, Cornelia Ulrich. Relationships between biomarkers of diet, one-carbon metabolism, and inflammation within the Women's Health Initiative observational study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Post-GWAS Horizons in Molecular Epidemiology: Digging Deeper into the Environment; 2012 Nov 11-14; Hollywood, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(11 Suppl):Abstract nr 34.

Reviews

Education for Motherhood: Advice for Mothers in Twentieth-Century Canada by Katherine Arnup, reviewed by Rebecca Priegert Coulter.&#x0D; Education As and For Legitimacy by M. Kazim Bacchus, reviewed by Brian Douglas Tennyson.&#x0D; Sexuality Education, a Guide for Educators by Linda van Rooyen and Nelia Louw, reviewed by Donald K. Sharpes.

The Expert Weighs In: Mining Weight Control Messages from Recent Clinical Trials: Interview with Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, Professor of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL.

The Expert Weighs In: Mining Weight Control Messages from Recent Clinical Trials: <i>Interview with Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, Professor of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL.</i>

Soy Protein, Isoflavones, and Cardiovascular Health

This editorial summarizes the recent American Heart Association (AHA) Science Advisory on soy protein and isoflavones (phytoestrogens) published in the February 21, 2006, issue of Circulation .1 Soy protein and isoflavones have gained considerable attention for their potential role in improving risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This scientific advisory report assesses the more recent work published on soy protein and its component isoflavones. In 22 randomized trials, isolated soy protein with isoflavones compared with milk or other proteins decreased LDL cholesterol concentrations in most studies; the average effect was approximately 3%. This reduction is very small compared with the large amount of soy protein tested in these studies, averaging 50 g, approximately half the usual total daily protein intake. No significant effects were evident on HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), or blood pressure. Among 19 studies of soy isoflavones, the average effect on LDL cholesterol and other lipid risk factors was nil. Soy protein or isoflavones have not been shown to lessen vasomotor symptoms of menopause, and results are mixed regarding slowing of postmenopausal bone loss. The efficacy and safety of soy isoflavones for preventing or treating cancer of the breast, endometrium, and prostate are not established; evidence from clinical trials is meager and cautionary as regards a possible adverse effect. For this reason, use of isoflavone supplements in food or pills is not recommended. Thus, earlier research indicating that soy protein compared with other proteins has clinically important favorable effects has not enjoyed confirmation. In contrast, many soy products should be beneficial to cardiovascular and overall health because of their high content of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and low content of saturated fat. In October 1999, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labeling for foods containing soy protein as protective against coronary heart disease.2 …

Amazwi Abesifazane (Voices of Women)

The Truth and Reconciliation's greatest contribution was to give back to South Africa its heart.—Wilmot James and Linda Van De VijverAt a press conference Mandela took De Klerk's hand and said, “We must forgive but never forget.”—Frederik Van Zyl SlabbertHow does one remember what one most wants to forget? Why does one choose to remember at all? How can a country traumatized by racial injustice become a nation? What is the role of narrative—written and imaged—in such a process? How does one construct an archive in multiple forms?