This study presents an integrated analysis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) for identification of putative cancer driver genes in somatic copy number gains (SCNGs). SCNG data on 60 PDAC genomes was extracted to identify 756 genes, mapping to 20 genomic loci that are recurrently gained. Through copy number and gene expression analysis on a panel of 29 human pancreatic cancer cell lines, this gene catalogue was refined to 34 PDAC high-confidence candidate genes. The performance of these genes was assessed in pooled shRNA screens and only ECT2 showed significant essentiality to cell viability in specific PDAC cell lines with genomic gains at the 3q26.3 locus that harbor this gene. Targeted shRNA-mediated interference of ECT2, as well as pharmacological inhibition, are supportive of the pooled shRNA screen findings. These results favor ECT2 as a candidate target gene for further evaluation in the subset of PDACs presenting with 3q26 somatic copy number gains.

This study presents an integrated analysis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) for identification of putative cancer driver genes in somatic copy number gains (SCNGs). SCNG data on 60 PDAC genomes was extracted to identify 756 genes, mapping to 20 genomic loci that are recurrently gained. Through copy number and gene expression analysis on a panel of 29 human pancreatic cancer cell lines, this gene catalogue was refined to 34 PDAC high-confidence candidate genes. The performance of these genes was assessed in pooled shRNA screens and only ECT2 showed significant essentiality to cell viability in specific PDAC cell lines with genomic gains at the 3q26.3 locus that harbor this gene. Targeted shRNA-mediated interference of ECT2, as well as pharmacological inhibition, are supportive of the pooled shRNA screen findings. These results favor ECT2 as a candidate target gene for further evaluation in the subset of PDACs presenting with 3q26 somatic copy number gains.

Thèse (M.Sc.)--Université Laval, 2004. / Bibliogr.: f. 87-90. Webographie: f. 90. Publié aussi en version électronique.

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The last thirty years in the US have been characterized by rising financial profits as a share of total profits and the growth of banking activities yielding non-interest income. These developments pose two questions. First, what are the social relations enabling and sustaining financial profits and what are their macroeconomic sources? Second, what do these trends imply for the nature of banking and what kind of theory of banking can capture them? This study addresses these questions and makes four contributions. First, a Marxist theory of banking is developed to capture the transformation of banking drawing on two characteristics: first, emphasis on liquidity provision through exchange of promises to pay among credit participants and, second, explicit connection between bank revenues and macroeconomic aggregates (wages, profits, assets). It is shown that a Marxist theory of banking can be a more general theory of banking retaining strengths of other approaches and overcoming their limitations. Second, it is shown that the corporate form of business organization and the attendant capital markets create opportunities to extract a range of profits with similar characteristics, i.e., capital gain-like revenues. The key features of their simplest form - founder's profit - are shown also to hold for securitization revenues and, partly, for profit from mergers and acquisitions. These revenues hinge on wealth transfers across the society and, therefore, differ from profits from production. Third, by bringing together the Marxist theory of banking and the analysis of capital gain-like revenues, liquidity provision is shown to form the basis for banks' sharing in capital gain-like income. The core functions of banking can, therefore, co-exist with, and even form the basis, for a significant transformation of bank revenues. Examination of the multiplicity of forms of capital gain-like revenues shows that their extraction is the common driving force behind the apparently heterogeneous activities associated with the transformation of banking. Fourth, empirical analysis of the US bank holding companies confirms that capital gain-like revenues were a significant part of bank revenues in 2001-2010. Given the rising household vulnerability toward wealth transfers, this trend suggests a reinstatement of predatory aspects of finance in contemporary capitalism.

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Yes / and Objectives: There is a growing evidence base that informal caregivers can identify positive aspects of providing care and that this may have a beneficial influence on their well-being. The aim of this systematic review was to explore how positive aspects of caregiving (PAC) affects the well-being of caregivers of people with dementia. Research Design and Methods: We searched electronic databases for quantitative studies exploring the association between PAC and caregiver well-being. Studies were included if they involved informal (unpaid) caregivers of people with dementia, at least 75% of whom had to be residing in the community. A narrative synthesis was used to explore patterns within the data. Results: Fifty-three studies were included in the narrative synthesis. Most studies utilized a cross-sectional design. The majority of samples consisted primarily of spouses and female caregivers. Twenty different PAC measures were employed and studies referred to a variety of constructs, such as satisfactions, gains, meaning, and rewards. PAC was associated with lower depressive symptoms and burden. Conversely, PAC was associated with better mental health, quality of life, satisfaction with life, and competence/self-efficacy. PAC was not associated with self-rated health or personal strain/stress. Discussion and Implications: The findings suggest that identifying PAC is associated with better caregiver well-being, although further longitudinal studies are required to explore how this relationship changes over time. Interventions that enable caregivers to gain a more positive experience of caregiving could be beneficial for their well-being.

Yes / There is a growing evidence base that identifying positive experiences in providing care can have a beneficial influence on carer wellbeing. However, there is a need to better understand what carers identify as the positive aspects of care-giving. The aim of this study is to explore the satisfying aspects of providing care to people with dementia. This study utilised Time 1 data from 1,277 carers of people in the mild-to-moderate stages of dementia taking part in the IDEAL (Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life) cohort study. Responses from 900 carers who answered the open-ended question ‘What is your greatest satisfaction in caring for your relative/friend?’ were analysed using thematic analysis. From the responses, 839 carers detailed satisfactions. Eight themes were identified, pertaining to three groups of beneficiaries: carers, people with dementia and the dyad. Perceived benefits for carers included identifying aspects of personal growth, seeing glimpses of the person, feeling they were making a difference and doing their duty. For the person with dementia, these included retaining independence, receiving good quality care and being happy. Dyadic benefits concerned the continuation of the relationship between carer and person with dementia. The findings highlight the need to take a dyadic approach when conceptualising positive experiences in providing care. Further research is needed to understand the role these positive experiences play and to develop interventions. Professionals working with carers should identify and validate these experiences. / ‘Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life: living well with dementia. The IDEAL study’ was funded jointly by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (grant number ES/L001853/2); ‘Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life: a longitudinal perspective on living well with dementia. The IDEAL-2 study’ is funded by the Alzheimer's Society (grant number 348, AS-PR2-16-001)

This study investigates the implications of the introduction of Capital Gains Tax that came into effect on the 1st October 2001 through the Income Tax Act. The study poses two questions, the first being, whether to elect the actual value of an asset at 1 October 2001 for base cost purposes, or to accept the 'default' time apportionment method? The second question posed raises the subject of whether an asset owner should delay doing a valuation exercise on the assets they presently own or proceed with a valuation exercise now? A number of actual examples were obtained from accounting firms and analysed to see what values the different methods of determining the base cost gave and hence the amount of tax payable. The results clearly show that the longer the asset has been owned by the business or individual prior to the implementation date, the bigger the impact the Time Apportionment Formula has on the answer. The reason for this is the Time Apportionment Formula that states the following "the effect of the formula is to multiply the actual pre-valuation economic expense by a factor, which increases it in the ratio of the pre-valuation period to the whole period of ownership. When this amount is deducted from the actual proceeds, it gives the effect of the gain having arisen at an equal amount per annum over the whole period of ownership". The Market Value Method comes into play when the assets are less than two years old. The results obtained also answer the second part of the question posed of whether to wait or do the valuation exercise now. A quote from the tax planning journal answers the question in the best possible way 'to delay is to pay'. In some of the cases presented the difference between the two methods is substantial and the taxpayer would have had to pay the amount given by the Time Apportionment Formula due to the fact that the Market Value Method has a time restriction placed on it. The Act is quite explicit in the use of the Market Value Method and it's cut off date. The conclusion drawn from the study indicates that it is in the best interest of businesses and individuals to do a valuation exercise on all capital assets owned without delay. These valuation exercises will then help those businesses and individuals determine which base cost calculation method will be in their best interest. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2002.