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What Does Laura have against White Men? Plus, Leslie got a New Gig!
1 hr 4 mins 35 secs
women's rights patriarchy politics
In this episode, Leslie gives us an update on his new job with Vogsy, where he is the new VP of Customer Services. It's a change for Leslie to not be the most experienced person in his role, and to work with people he wasn't first friends with. It's all good and he's doing great.
We pause and recognize Pride Month and Juneteenth, with a little explainer from Leslie.
The bulk of the show is dedicated to a question Laura gets quite a bit, especially when her voter guides come out: "What do you have against white men?"
Laura's voter guide has the following disclaimer:
"My vote recommendations are based on my own research and do not represent any entity's opinions but my own. I vote liberal/democrat/progressive. When other factors are equal, I favor the candidate that is the least cis/hetero/male/white/old; who is aware of and working on their own implicit biases; and who is committed to improving equity, accessibility, and inclusivity within their jurisdiction."
Laura admits that she couldn't actually come out and say "I don't have anything against white men," but mainly because she was fresh off a super annoying interaction with a white man on Facebook. Turns out, there's plenty to hold against white men, but mostly it's rooted in their involvement in upholding the patriarchy, which is the root of the problem and the crux of our conversation.
The patriarchy is the systemic way we are all socialized to see the straight, cis, able-bodied, middle class white male as The Norm. Everyone else is varying degrees below his level of entitlement to the world. The Guardian article in the show notes says it succinctly: "[Patriarchy] at its simplest, it conveys the existence of a societal structure of male supremacy that operates at the expense of women – rather in the way that 'white supremacy' conveys the existence of a societal structure that operates at the expense of black people."
We veer into politics a bit, ranting about how the subjective take on who is "electible" or "presidential" always favors those who are highest in the social hierarchy: white men, and how gaffes like Joe Biden's this week are blips for him, but could kill a less white/less male candidate's run completely. The bar is so high for the success of the others, and drops to nearly nothing for white men.
Leslie bottom-lines Laura's voting criteria like this: "Just treat white men like any other candidate; make them prove themselves and earn it."
A followup to this episode is the brilliant Rebecca Solnit's article "Unconscious Bias is Running for President." Make sure you read it.
At the end of the show, we tease a new feature and additional somtimes-host for the podcast. We'll be revealing the new and exciting changes next episode!
Stonewall riots - Wikipedia — The month of June was chosen for LGBT Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of June 1969. As a result, many pride events are held during this month to recognize the impact LGBT people have had in the world.
Juneteenth - Wikipedia — Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is an American holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. state of Texas, and more generally the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the former Confederate States of America.
Rebecca Solnit: Unconscious Bias is Running for President | Literary Hub — This is your must-read article. "With their deep belief in their own special monopoly on objectivity, slightly too many men assure me that there is no misogyny in their subjective assessments or even no subjectivity and no emotion driving them, and there are no grounds for other opinions since theirs is not an opinion."
nontoxic masculinity — KatyKatiKate — A fantastic and funny review of what is toxic masculinity, with real life examples of non-toxic men!
Think It's #NotAllMen? These 4 Facts Prove You're Just Plain Wrong - Everyday Feminism — All Men Are Socialized Under (And Benefit From) Patriarchy
The age of patriarchy: how an unfashionable idea became a rallying cry for feminism today | News | The Guardian — [Patriarchy] at its simplest, it conveys the existence of a societal structure of male supremacy that operates at the expense of women – rather in the way that "white supremacy" conveys the existence of a societal structure that operates at the expense of black people.
(How) Patriarchy is Spoiling America's Next Election — Even though the Betos and Petes aren't nearly as thoughtful, even their ideas aren't nearly as innovative, even though their agendas aren't nearly as transformative — somehow, they've become the brave, intelligent, authentic fighters. But the women, for displaying more of the very same attributes — intelligence, thoughtfulness, courage, truth — are ignored, when they're not being taunted, mocked, derided, or pilloried.
If male candidates want to show they get it, they should get out - The Washington Post — The really radical thing for a male candidate to do in 2020 would be to step down and step away, realizing that real gender equity is achieved only when men actively refuse the benefits they receive simply for being born male.
I Don't Think a Woman is Electable In 2020 Because Last Time Around the Female Nominee Only Got Three Million More Votes Than Her Opponent - McSweeney's Internet Tendency — Americans, excluding those 65.8 million who made Hillary Clinton the person with the second most votes ever, just aren't yet ready to elect a woman president.
President Donald Trump Faces New Rape Accusation — Carroll is now at least the 16th woman to accuse Donald Trump of sexual misconduct and the 14th to accuse Moonves of similar offenses. The incidents, which date from the 1990s, are highly specific and related with dark humor. Moonves is compared by Carroll to an octopus, and Trump, she writes, "yammers about himself like he's Alexander the Great ready to loot Babylon." But she is clear, sometimes clinical, about the violence she experienced. Moonves frantically kisses and gropes her in a hotel elevator moments after she finished interviewing him for an article. The Trump story is even darker.
Comedian Baratunde Thurston says patriarchy is a trap for men — Quartz at Work — There are very few true perpetrators. They are easy to vilify and shame and punish. But far more of us, myself included, some women included, can be perpetuators. We can enable a system of bias and injustice by our action or our inaction. By our words or our silence.

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Expression of Concern (June 2018)
Research ArticleCell biologyOncology Free access | 10.1172/jci.insight.93076
Adrenergic-mediated increases in INHBA drive CAF phenotype and collagens
Archana S. Nagaraja,1 Robert L. Dood,1 Guillermo Armaiz-Pena,1 Yu Kang,1 Sherry Y. Wu,1 Julie K. Allen,1 Nicholas B. Jennings,1 Lingegowda S. Mangala,1 Sunila Pradeep,1 Yasmin Lyons,1 Monika Haemmerle,1 Kshipra M. Gharpure,1 Nouara C. Sadaoui,1 Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo,2,3 Cristina Ivan,2 Ying Wang,4 Keith Baggerly,4 Prahlad Ram,5 Gabriel Lopez-Berestein,2,3 Jinsong Liu,6 Samuel C. Mok,1 Lorenzo Cohen,7 Susan K. Lutgendorf,8 Steve W. Cole,9 and Anil K. Sood1,2,10
1Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine,
2Center for RNAi and Non-Coding RNA,
3Department of Experimental Therapeutics,
4Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology,
5Department of Systems Biology,
6Department of Pathology, and
7Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
8Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
9Department of Medicine and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, UCLA Molecular Biology Institute, and Norman Cousins Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
10Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Address correspondence to: Anil K. Sood, 1220 Holcombe Blvd No. 1260, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. Phone: 713.792.4130; Email: asood@mdanderson.org.
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First published August 17, 2017 - More info
Published in Volume 2, Issue 16 on August 17, 2017
JCI Insight. 2017;2(16):e93076. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.93076.
Copyright © 2017, American Society for Clinical Investigation
First published August 17, 2017 - Version history
Received: January 26, 2017; Accepted: July 6, 2017
Adrenergic signaling is known to promote tumor growth and metastasis, but the effects on tumor stroma are not well understood. An unbiased bioinformatics approach analyzing tumor samples from patients with known biobehavioral profiles identified a prominent stromal signature associated with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in those with a high biobehavioral risk profile (high Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CES-D] score and low social support). In several models of epithelial ovarian cancer, daily restraint stress resulted in significantly increased CAF activation and was abrogated by a nonspecific β-blocker. Adrenergic signaling–induced CAFs had significantly higher levels of collagen and extracellular matrix components than control tumors. Using a systems-based approach, we found INHBA production by cancer cells to induce CAFs. Ablating inhibin β A decreased CAF phenotype both in vitro and in vivo. In preclinical models of breast and colon cancers, there were increased CAFs and collagens following daily restraint stress. In an independent data set of renal cell carcinoma patients, there was an association between high depression (CES-D) scores and elevated expression of ACTA2, collagens, and inhibin β A. Collectively, our findings implicate adrenergic influences on tumor stroma as important drivers of CAFs and establish inhibin β A as an important regulator of the CAF phenotype in ovarian cancer.
Mounting clinical and preclinical evidence has shown that psychosocial factors can trigger chronic adrenergic signaling within tumors and promote tumor growth and metastasis in many tumor types (1–5). Activation of the sympathetic nervous system leads to release of stress hormones such as epinephrine and norepinephrine (NE), which signal via adrenergic receptors on tumor cells, resulting in diminished efficacy of conventional chemotherapy and promotion of tumor metastasis, inflammation, and other prosurvival pathways (6–12). Although molecular events that have direct effects on tumor cells have been well documented, the effects of adrenergic signaling on the tumor stroma are not well understood. The goal of this study was to identify the effects of chronic adrenergic signaling on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment.
CAFs can contribute substantially to tumor growth. By depositing extracellular matrix (ECM) components, fibroblasts can potentiate migration and invasion of cancer cells and decrease access of chemotherapy and immunotherapy drugs as well as cytotoxic T cells (13–17). The ability of cancer cells to educate normal fibroblasts toward a CAF phenotype and transform resident fibroblasts to a reactive stromal phenotype is well known, but the unique role of chronic stress in mediating this effect is not understood (13, 16). In ovarian cancer, crosstalk between CAFs and cancer cells is associated with production of CAF-specific growth factors and ECM that can support tumor growth and metastasis (18).
We identified a prominent stromal signature, indicated by elevated expression of CAF-related genes and several collagens, in tumors from patients with a high biobehavioral risk composite score. Using bioinformatics analyses, we found that induction of the CAF phenotype is due primarily to inhibin β A (INHBA) production by cancer cells after NE stimulation. We further identified the critical role that the β2-adrenergic receptor/cAMP responsive element binding protein/INHBA (ADRB2/CREB/INHBA) axis plays in mediating a stress hormone–induced response in tumor stroma. Silencing inhibin β A in tumor cells in preclinical models reversed increases in levels of collagen within tumors during chronic adrenergic stimulation, leading to significantly decreased tumor burden.
Stromal signature in ovarian tumors from patients with chronic adrenergic activation. To identify potential pathways affected by adrenergic signaling, we first compared high-grade serous cancers (HGSCs) from 5 patients with high biobehavioral risk (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CES-D] score ≥ 16 and SPS attachment < 15) with tumors from 5 patients with low biobehavioral risk (CES-D < 16 and SPS attachment ≥ 15); these data were collected from a prospective cohort study (GEO GSE9116) (19). Selecting for genes that were significantly upregulated in the tumors of patients with high biobehavioral risk (by at least 2-fold at the P < 0.05 level), we then performed a protein network analysis using NetWalker. Strikingly, we uncovered a strong signature indicative of a reactive stroma in tumors from patients with high biobehavioral risk (Figure 1A and Table 1). It should be noted that those patients with high biobehavioral risk also had significantly elevated tumor norepinephrine (NE) (19). Comparing the top 200 genes from these tumors with gene expression data comparing microdissected CAFs and normal fibroblasts (GEO GSE40643), we found 22 genes that were common to the high biobehavioral risk group and the CAFs, suggesting that CAFs are indeed enriched during chronic adrenergic signaling (Table 2 and Supplemental Figure 1A; supplemental material available online with this article; https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.93076DS1).
Chronic stress accelerates induction of the cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotype in ovarian carcinoma. (A) Results from NetWalker analysis to identify networks of upregulated genes in ovarian cancer patients with high Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CES-D] (i.e., depression) scores and low social support. (B) Expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA, a CAF marker) in micrographs of representative tumors from control and restraint-stressed mice in adrenergic receptor–positive Skov3-ip1, HeyA8, and ID8-ip1 models. (C) Expression of α-SMA and CD31 (blood vessel marker) in micrographs of representative Skov3-ip1 tumors from control and stressed mice. (D) Expression of α-SMA in micrographs of representative tumors from mice subjected to short-term (7 days) or long-term (21 days) stress. Scale bars: 100 μm. n = 5/group for all data.
Top networks upregulated in tumors from patients with high CES-D scores compared to those with low CES-D scores, with at least 7 genes involved
Genes common to GSE9116 (ovarian cancer patients with high biobehavioral risk score) and GDS40643 (microdissected cancer-associated fibroblasts [CAFs]), arranged alphabetically
To determine the biological relevance of these findings, we used ADRB-positive cell lines in orthotopic mouse models of both human (Skov3-ip1 and HeyA8) and murine (ID8-ip1) epithelial ovarian cancer. We induced chronic stress in the animals by using a well-characterized physical-restraint system (11, 20), which is known to result in sustained elevations of NE in tissues (20). In tumors obtained at necropsy, samples from mice exposed to chronic restraint stress had significantly greater numbers of intratumoral cells positive for the CAF marker, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), in all models (Skov3-ip1: 4.23-fold increase, P < 0.05; HeyA8: 1.88-fold increase, P < 0.01; ID8-ip1: 2.9-fold increase, P < 0.05) (Figure 1B and ref. 14). Since endothelial cells may also stain for α-SMA, we also costained for CD31 and α-SMA. The significantly higher α-SMA–positive signal in tumors from mice that underwent chronic stress compared with controls was independent of CD31-positive cells, indicating that restraint stress induced an increase in the CAF phenotype (CD31-independent α-SMA+ cells: 1.8-fold increase) (Figure 1C and refs. 21, 22). We also evaluated the tumors for other CAF markers including fibroblast-activated protein (FAP), desmin, and vimentin and found a similar increase in its expression under restraint stress in the Skov3-ip1 model (Supplemental Figure 1B). The CAF phenotype was more pronounced in mice stressed for 21 days (long-term stress) than in those stressed for 7 days (short-term stress) (Skov3-ip1: 2.1-fold increase, P < 0.05; ID8-ip1: 2.2-fold increase, P < 0.05) (Figure 1D). CAFs were detected in primary as well as all metastatic sites in these preclinical models of ovarian cancer and the CAF content was increased by restraint stress compared with controls in the Skov3-ip1 model (2-fold increase, P < 0.05) (Supplemental Figure 1C).
Promotion of CAF phenotype by chronic adrenergic signaling. Catecholamines such as NE can trigger signaling in tumor and other cell types via ADRB receptors (1). To further determine whether the CAF phenotype was due to direct or indirect effects of β-adrenergic signaling on fibroblasts, we used an ADRB-null tumor model (A2780). There was no significant difference in α-SMA expression between tumors from control and restraint-stress groups, indicating the important role of adrenergic signaling in tumor cells for driving the stress-induced CAF phenotype (A2780: 1.1-fold change, P > 0.05) (Figure 2A).
Induction of the cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotype in ovarian carcinoma is due to the indirect effects of adrenergic signaling. (A) Expression of CAF marker α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in micrographs of representative tumors from control and restraint-stressed mice in the β-adrenergic receptor–negative (ADRB-negative) A2780 (orthotopic) model. (B) Expression of α-SMA in micrographs of representative ID8 tumors from control and stressed mice that underwent adrenalectomy (Adrenal.) or sham surgery. (C) Left: Expression of α-SMA in micrographs. Right: mRNA expression of ACTA2 and FAP of representative HeyA8 tumors from control and stressed mice treated with the nonspecific β-blocker propranolol or phosphate-buffered saline solution (PBS, controls). (D) Expression of α-SMA in micrographs of representative HeyA8 tumors from control and stressed mice treated with PBS (control), nonspecific β-agonist isoproterenol, or ADRB2-specific agonist terbutaline. (E) Expression of α-SMA in micrographs of representative HeyA8 tumors from control and stressed mice treated with control or ADRB2 siRNA loaded into DOPC nanoliposomes. Scale bars: 100 μm. n = 5/group for all micrographs, n = 8 for gene expression data of ACTA2 and FAP (1-way ANOVA for statistical significance).*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.
To further assess the distinct roles of epinephrine versus NE signaling as the primary catecholaminergic driver of the CAF phenotype under chronic stress, we assessed the expression of α-SMA after chronic restraint stress in tumors from adrenalectomized mice that had been injected with ID8-ip1 cells. In these animals, the adrenal glands were surgically removed, eliminating the primary source of circulating epinephrine, but preserving the primary source of NE (which is released predominately from local peripheral nerves; ref. 23). The adrenalectomized mice had significant increases in α-SMA levels under restraint stress (2.5- and 3.1-fold increases over controls in sham surgery and adrenalectomy groups, respectively; P < 0.05) (Figure 2B), implying a primary role of NE. To further define the role of adrenergic receptors, we first treated tumor bearing mice with PBS or propranolol, a nonspecific β-blocker that blocks all downstream β-adrenergic signaling in cells. Propranolol abrogated the stress-mediated increases in α-SMA level in the HeyA8 model (PBS: 2.2-fold increase; P < 0.05, propranolol: 0.87-fold change, P > 0.05) and reduced gene expression of CAF markers in the Skov3-ip1 model (Figure 2C). Conversely, treatment of tumor-bearing mice with either isoproterenol (nonspecific β agonist) or terbutaline (ADRB2-specific agonist) increased CAFs by 2.5- and 3.1-fold, respectively, in tumors (Figure 2D). To further determine which receptor is responsible for the CAF phenotype, we specifically targeted ADRB2 since this is the primary receptor on tumor cells through which NE exerts its pro-tumoral effects (20, 24, 25). In the HeyA8 mouse model in which ADRB2 was silenced in tumor cells by siRNA incorporated into nanoliposomes, stress-mediated increases in α-SMA expression were abrogated (Figure 2E).
Next, we examined the consequences of tumor cell adrenergic stimulation for fibroblast activation in vitro. We used NOF151, a normal fibroblast cell line derived from normal ovary that has been previously characterized (26). Similar to fibroblasts in preclinical models, these cells have low expression of adrenergic receptors and therefore do not respond to direct NE treatment, as indicated by lack of increase in cAMP levels (Supplemental Figure 2, A and B). NOF151 also did not show increases in expression of CAF markers ACTA2, FAP, and S100A4 after direct treatment with NE (Supplemental Figure 2C). Next, NOF151 cells were exposed to either control medium conditioned by untreated cancer cells or medium conditioned by NE-treated cancer cells. There was a substantial increase in expression of CAF markers ACTA2, FAP, and S100A4 RNA and α-SMA protein (Supplemental Figure 2, D and E; see complete unedited blots in the supplemental material). Two characteristics of transformed fibroblasts in vitro are increased production of proinflammatory cytokines and increased migration (13, 27). Conditioned medium from NE-treated cancer cells increased migratory potential (Supplemental Figure 2F) and expression of proinflammatory cytokines such as MCP1, CXCL1, MIF, GM-CSF, and G-CSF (Supplemental Figure 2G) in NOF151 cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that NE exposure induces tumor cells to express soluble factors that enhance activation of normal fibroblasts. Consistent with the adrenergic receptor specificity documented above in vivo, NOF151 cells exposed in vitro to medium from isoproterenol- or terbutaline-treated cancer cells showed greater α-SMA induction than those exposed to medium conditioned by nontreated cells (Supplemental Figure 3A). NOF151 cells exposed to conditioned medium from ADRB2-silenced cancer cells did not show increases in CAF marker ACTA2 (Supplemental Figure 3B).
Stromal effects of chronic stress. To study the biological consequences of fibroblast activation by chronic stress, we next used NetWalker-unbiased gene-interaction analysis to identify upregulated genes in a patient expression array from GSE9116 (Figure 3A). From this analysis and the results shown in Table 2, we identified an increased collagen signature in tumors from patients with high biobehavioral risk. Masson trichrome and Sirius staining of Skov3-ip1 and HeyA8 tumors confirmed elevated collagen deposition after restraint stress in the in vivo mouse model (increase of 2.1-fold for both, P < 0.05) (Figure 3B and Supplemental Figure 4A). Stress-mediated collagen deposition in tumors was largely abrogated by propranolol treatment, as assessed by trichrome and Sirius stain (1.64- and 1.01-fold increases over controls in PBS- and propranolol-treated groups, respectively; P = 0.05 for PBS group) (Figure 4A and Supplemental Figure 4B). Collagen genes identified by bioinformatics analysis were elevated in tumors from mice exposed to restraint stress, and these increases also were abrogated by propranolol (Supplemental Figure 4C). Similarly, restraint stress–induced increases in collagen were also abrogated by ADRB2 silencing, as shown by both trichrome and Sirius staining (Figure 4B and Supplemental Figure 4D). Treating animals with the nonspecific β-agonist or the ADRB2-specific agonist resulted in significant increases in tumoral collagen (1.81- and 1.75-fold increases for isoproterenol- and terbutaline-treated groups, respectively, over PBS-treated controls; P < 0.05) (Figure 4C). Moreover, NOF151 normal fibroblasts exposed to medium conditioned by NE-treated cancer cells showed similar elevations in the same collagen genes (Supplemental Figure 4E). However, NOF151 cells treated with conditioned media from ADRB2-silenced Skov3-ip1 cells did not show these elevations in collagen genes (Supplemental Figure 4F).
Adrenergic signaling increases collagen deposition and extracellular matrix formation in ovarian tumors. (A) An unbiased network of genes differentially upregulated in tumor samples from high depression score and low depression score patients. (B) Expression of collagen identified by Masson trichrome staining in micrographs of representative Skov3-ip1 tumors from control and restraint-stressed mice. Scale bars: 100 μm. n = 5/group for all data.
Adrenergic signaling increases collagen in an ADRB2-dependent manner. (A) Expression of collagen in representative Skov3-ip1 tumors from control and stressed mice treated with nonspecific β-blocker propranolol or phosphate-buffered saline solution (PBS, controls). (B) Expression of collagen identified by Masson trichrome staining in micrographs of representative HeyA8 tumors from control and stressed mice treated with control or ADRB2 siRNA. (C) Expression of collagen identified by Masson trichrome staining in micrographs of representative HeyA8 tumors from control and stressed mice treated with PBS (control), nonspecific β-agonist isoproterenol, or ADRB2-specific agonist terbutaline. Scale bars: 100 μm. n = 5/group for all data.
Induction of CAF phenotype by NE-mediated inhibin β A production. Our data demonstrate that tumor-derived extracellular factors are important drivers of the CAF phenotype during chronic stress. Using a gene array data set of Skov3-ip1 and HeyA8 cells treated with NE, we identified several potential mediators of this effect (11). To identify potential upstream regulators that are central to CAF activation in tumors, we used ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) on gene arrays of microdissected CAFs and normal ovarian tissues to identify upstream regulators of CAFs in an independent data set (26). Combining the gene array and systems-based analyses, we identified IL6 (interleukin 6) and INBHA as factors that could potentially affect CAF biology (Figure 5A and ref. 11). We then used Oncomine to analyze coexpression of INHBA and IL6 with genes upregulated in ovarian cancer samples included in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). INHBA, but not IL6, was highly correlated with stroma-related genes that were upregulated in both patient data sets (Supplemental Tables 1 and 2). Therefore, we focused primarily on INHBA for subsequent experiments.
Induction of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in ovarian carcinoma is mediated by inhibin β A downstream of norepinephrine. (A) Schema used for ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) of different ovarian cancer cell lines to identify upstream regulators of CAF induction. (B) Expression of inhibin β A in micrographs of representative Skov3-ip1 and HeyA8 tumors from control and restraint-stressed mice. (C) Expression of inhibin β A in micrographs of representative HeyA8 tumors from control and stressed mice treated with nonspecific β-blocker propranolol or phosphate-buffered saline solution (PBS, control). (D) Effects of silencing INHBA in vivo on tumor weight and tumor nodules in HeyA8 tumor–bearing mice subjected to daily restraint stress and treated with either control siRNA or INHBA siRNA. n = 6 or 7/group (1-way ANOVA for statistical significance). (E) Expression of CAF marker α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in micrographs and gene expression of representative HeyA8 tumors from control and stressed mice treated with control or INHBA siRNA. (F) Expression of collagen identified by Masson trichrome staining in micrographs of representative HeyA8 tumors from control and stressed mice treated with control or INHBA siRNA. Scale bars: 100 μm. n = 5 samples/group for all data and 1-way ANOVA for statistical significance.*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.
In the GEO data set GSE9116, we noted that INHBA mRNA levels were increased 2.14-fold in tumors from patients with high biobehavioral risk scores (19). Elevated INHBA levels were also associated with significantly shorter overall and progression-free survival in the TCGA ovarian cancer data set (Supplemental Figure 5A). Hazard ratios for collagens identified in the bioinformatics analysis were also analyzed for TCGA data (Supplemental Figure 5B). In the in vivo preclinical model, restraint stress significantly increased inhibin β A levels in Skov3-ip1 and HeyA8 tumors (2.3- and 3.1-fold increases over non-stress controls, respectively, P < 0.05) (Figure 5B). Treatment with propranolol abrogated the increases in tumoral INHBA at both protein and mRNA levels (Figure 5C and Supplemental Figure 5C).
In vitro, treatment of Skov3-ip1 cancer cells with NE significantly induced INHBA expression, and pretreatment of HeyA8 cells with propranolol or ADRB2-antagonist butoxamine abrogated this effect (Supplemental Figure 6, A and B). Silencing ADRB2 using siRNA decreased INHBA expression in Skov3-ip1 cells after NE treatment (Supplemental Figure 6C). Using TRANSFAC, a curated database for eukaryotic transcription factors, we identified CREB1 as a potential transcription factor driving INHBA expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that NE increased CREB binding to the INHBA promoter by 4-fold (Supplemental Figure 6D). Silencing CREB1 also reduced NE-induced increases in INHBA expression (Supplemental Figure 6E). Conditioned medium from CREB1-silenced Skov3-ip1 cells failed to increase ACTA2 expression in NOF151 cells, demonstrating the importance of inhibin β A in driving the NE-mediated CAF phenotype (Supplemental Figure 6F).
We next sought to silence INHBA in cancer cells and validated several sequences of INHBA siRNA (Supplemental Figure 7, A and B). Conditioned medium from INHBA-silenced cancer cells also failed to increase ACTA2 levels in NOF151 cells (Supplemental Figure 7C). Furthermore, NOF151 fibroblasts exposed to medium conditioned by INHBA-silenced Skov3-ip1 cells also showed decreased levels of the same collagens that were elevated in the patient tumor samples (Supplemental Figure 7D).
Taken together, these results indicate that NE drives the CAF phenotype via an ADRB2/CREB/INHBA axis. To study the effects of inhibin β A in driving the CAF phenotype in vivo, we used a nanoliposomal (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine [DOPC]) system to silence INHBA in the tumor cells in the HeyA8 model. Silencing INHBA decreased tumor growth and metastasis (Figure 5D). Gene knockdown was validated by RNA expression using human-specific sequences (Supplemental Figure 8A). More importantly, silencing inhibin β A decreased restraint stress–mediated increases in the CAF phenotype at both protein and mRNA levels (Figure 5E and Supplemental Figure 8B). H&E sections from tumors revealed increased stromal content in the control, stress group compared with the inhibin β A–silenced groups (Supplemental Figure 8C).
Silencing INHBA in HeyA8 tumor cells decreased collagen deposition in vivo and reduced levels of specific collagens that were significantly elevated in the patient tumor samples (Figure 5F and Supplemental Figure 8, D–F). To interrogate the signaling pathways operating in CAF activation, we used NOF151 fibroblasts. Inhibin β A functions via ACVR2a or ACVR2b receptors and activates Smad2/3 proteins downstream. Tumor stroma was weakly positive for ACVR2a and positive for ACVR2b (Supplemental Figure 9A). Silencing ACVR2b, but not ACVR2a, in NOF151 cells abrogated changes in both ACTA2 and collagen expression mediated by NE-conditioned media (Supplemental Figure 9B).
Adrenergic signaling–mediated CAFs modulate collagen in breast and colorectal cancers. Clinical and preclinical data have shown that chronic stress can promote colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer progression in addition to ovarian cancer (1). Greater numbers of CAFs are associated with shorter survival, increased metastasis, and therapy resistance in these cancers (14, 15, 28). To determine whether our findings apply to other cancer types, we examined both clinical data and in vivo tumor samples from breast and colon cancer models. In mouse models generated from ADRB-positive RKO colon cancer cells or GILM2 breast cancer cells, α-SMA levels were significantly increased by restraint stress (2.2- and 3.4-fold increases for RKO and GILM2 models, respectively; P < 0.05) (Figure 6A). There were concomitant increases in collagen in the tumors of mice subjected to restraint stress (1.7- and 2.1-fold increases for RKO and GILM2 models, respectively; P < 0.05) (Figure 6B). Expression data from TCGA showed that INHBA levels are higher in tumors than in normal tissues (Figure 6C). Most intriguingly, analysis of genes that were coexpressed with INHBA in TCGA colorectal and ovarian cancers revealed significant overlap with the prominent CAF phenotype observed in ovarian cancer, and collagen patterns in these tumors were comparable to those in ovarian cancer (Supplemental Table 3 and Supplemental Figure 9, C and D). To further show the importance of chronic adrenergic signaling in promoting ECM- and CAF-related gene expression, we analyzed an independent set of renal carcinoma samples from patients with known CES-D scores for collagens and CAF markers. The results show higher levels of gene expression for collagens, INHBA, and ACTA2 in patients with higher CES-D scores (CES-D > 21 versus < 4). This finding did not reach statistical significance due to a limited number of samples (Figure 6D).
Restraint stress induces cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in colon, breast, and renal cancer models. (A) Expression of CAF marker α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in micrographs of representative tumors from control and restraint-stressed mice in adrenergic receptor–positive RKO (colon cancer) and GILM2 (breast cancer) models. (B) Expression of collagen identified by Masson trichrome staining in micrographs of representative RKO and GILM2 tumors from control and stressed mice. (C) Pan-cancer INHBA expression from TCGA data. (D) Clinical validation of adrenergic-mediated CAF phenotype in renal cell carcinoma samples using qRT-PCR. P values as indicated, determined by 2-tailed Student's t test (9 total samples: 4 in Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CES-D] < 4 and 5 in CES-D > 21). Scale bars: 100 μm. n = 5/group for RKO data and n = 3/group for GILM2 data.
In this study, one of the key findings is the prominent association between high biobehavioral risk and CAF phenotype. Utilizing both bioinformatics and molecular biology approaches, we identified a potentially novel mechanism of fibroblast activation triggered by inhibin β A production by tumor cells in response to sustained adrenergic stimulation (Figure 7). We also show that downstream inhibin β A signaling in CAFs drives levels of several collagens such as COL3A1, COL5A1, COL5A2, and COL11A1. Prior studies have identified the direct role of NE in driving molecular changes in tumor cells, but influences on stroma have been limited to natural killer cells, macrophage infiltration, and angiogenesis (1). Effects of adrenergic signaling on CAFs and ECM provide a previously unrecognized dimension that could have therapeutic implications. CAFs are the major part of tumor stroma and provide tumor cells with vital cues for invasion by remodeling the microenvironment through synthesis and deposition of collagens and producing proinflammatory cytokines and other growth factors (29). Collagens in the ECM can engage integrins on tumor cells, impede T cell infiltration, and facilitate invasion and metastasis. Importantly, collagens identified in our study (e.g., COL5A1, COL11A1, and COL1A1) are also associated with increased metastasis and poor overall survival in ovarian cancer (30).
Proposed model of cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) activation and increased collagen deposition in response to adrenergic signaling in ovarian carcinoma. CREB, cAMP responsive element binding protein; ADRB2, β2-adrenergic receptor.
We demonstrated that NE-ADRB2-CREB–mediated inhibin β A production in tumor cells is important for induction of CAF phenotype in tumors. NE-mediated ADRB2 and CREB signaling in cancer cells is important for increasing angiogenesis, tumor invasion, and inflammation. Inhibin β A is a member of the TGF-β pathway and is overexpressed in prostate, ovarian, colorectal, and breast cancers (31–33). Elevated serum and plasma levels of inhibin β A have been reported in patients with metastatic ovarian, breast, and prostate cancers (31–33). Inhibin β A is shown to have other effects on tumors such as promoting stem cell phenotype and modulating cancer cachexia (34). High levels of INHBA are also associated with poor clinical outcome of ovarian cancer patients in TCGA data. A major finding of this study is the demonstration that inhibin β A is a driver of the CAF phenotype in ovarian cancer. Several collagens are also coexpressed significantly with INHBA in ovarian, breast and colon tumors using TCGA data. Although coexpression of collagen genes with INHBA has been reported in some cancers, the functional relationships have not been well understood (35). To our knowledge, this is the first report to show that inhibin β A is necessary for increased collagen levels in CAFs and may be an important biomarker for tumor progression. In our study, silencing inhibin β A in tumor cells reduced the levels of adrenergic-stimulated CAFs and collagen significantly. Several studies have focused on targeting inhibin β A to prevent cancer cachexia, but our results demonstrate important roles in modulating the tumor stroma (36–38). Our results, therefore, also have important therapeutic implications, as compounds that inactivate or deplete inhibin β A signaling might be effective in tumors under chronic adrenergic stimulation. STM 434, a humanized decoy receptor for the activin A receptor, is currently in a clinical trial for treating patients with metastatic and chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer (NCT02262455). β-Blockers have been shown to be associated with survival benefit in several cancers in retrospective studies; our results suggest that β-blockers could be useful in combination with novel drugs such as inhibin β A decoy receptors. Disruption of interactions between cancer cells and stress hormones or cancer cells and fibroblasts may improve outcomes of cancer patients.
Skov3-ip1, A2780-ip2, and HeyA8 ovarian cancer cell lines have been described previously (11). SKOV3-ip1, HeyA8, and A2780-ip2 were obtained from the Cancer Center Support Grant–funded (CCSG-funded) Characterized Cell Line Core Facility at MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas, USA). STR DNA fingerprinting was done by the CCSG-funded Characterized Cell Line Core (NCI CA016672). They were maintained in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum and 0.1% gentamicin sulfate at 37°C. ID8-ip1 cells were a gift from George Coukos (Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Zurich, Switzerland) and maintained in high-glucose DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, 0.1% gentamicin, and 0.1% insulin-transferrin sulfate (39). NOF151 normal ovarian fibroblasts, whose derivation has been described before (26, 40), were a gift from Jinsong Liu. These cells were maintained in a 1:1 mixture of Medium 199 and MCDB 105 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, 1% penicillin-streptomycin, and 5 μg epidermal growth factor. All cells were grown at 37°C in a humidified chamber with 5% CO2.
For all in vitro experiments, cancer cells at 70% confluence were serum starved overnight before treatment. NE (10 μM; Sigma-Aldrich) was dissolved in sterile water just before it was added to the cells. Isoproterenol and terbutaline (Sigma-Aldrich) were used at published concentrations (6, 8). Propranolol and butoxamine were purchased from Tocris and used at published concentrations (6, 8). Treatment with an antagonist, if pertinent, began 1 hour before NE was added to the cell culture medium. Treatment with agonists was started at the same time as NE treatment. Genes were silenced by using a reverse-transfection protocol with RNAimax and control siRNA (sequence: UUAUGCCGAUCGCGUCACA), specific human INHBA siRNA (sequence: CCAACAGGACCAGGACCAA), human ADRB2 siRNA (sequence: GCCATTACTTCACCTTTCA), human ACVR2a siRNA (sequence: GCUCCAACCUCGAAGUAGA) and human ACVR2b siRNA (sequence: CUCGACUUUGGGUUGGCCUU) according to the manufacturer's (Sigma-Aldrich) recommendations. Briefly, 40 nm siRNA was mixed with RNAimax transfecting agent and added to culture medium for 4 hours. Fresh complete medium was added and cells were allowed to grow. Silencing was assessed at 48 hours using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT–PCR) analysis.
Chronic stress model
All animal experiments were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where the experiments were carried out.
Experiments involving human cancer cell– and murine cancer cell–derived mouse tumor models were performed in 8- to 12-week-old female athymic nude and C57/B6 mice, respectively, obtained from Taconic Farms. Adrenalectomized mice were received from Taconic Farms 3 days after surgery and were given an additional 10 days to recover before restraint stress started. Chronic stress was induced experimentally by using a restraint-stress procedure that has been previously described (20). In brief, mice were enclosed in a movement-restricted space for 2 hours daily for the duration of the experiment.
Tumor cells were injected intraperitoneally into mice in all groups 1 week after the stress procedure began (Skov3-ip1: 1 million cells/animal; HeyA8: 250,000 cells/animal; ID8-ip1: 2 million cells/animal). Mice were randomly assigned to groups (n = 10/group), and siRNA (3.5 μg in DOPC nanoliposomes) treatment was started 5 days after tumor cell injection and continued twice weekly for the duration of the experiment. Mice were treated by intraperitoneal injection with propranolol or a specific β-blocker or adrenergic agonist daily for the duration of the experiment. The animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation when they became moribund and examined for visible disease, and mouse weight, tumor weight, and number and distribution of nodules were recorded.
Both frozen and paraffin sections were used for immunohistochemical analyses. Paraffin sections were heated for 20 minutes at 56°C and were deparaffinized in xylene and dehydrated/rehydrated in decreasing grades of alcohol and PBS. Antigen retrieval was performed in citrate buffer (pH 6.0) in the steamer for 30 minutes. Frozen sections were fixed in acetone and acetone/chloroform. After endogenous peroxidase blocking with hydrogen peroxide in methanol and 3 washes with PBS, the slides were incubated with primary antibodies α-SMA (1:100, ab5694, Abcam), FAP (1:100, AF3715, R&D Systems), inhibin β A (1:100, ab56057, Abcam), desmin (1:100, ab15200, Abcam), collagen 3 (1:100, ab7778, Abcam), collagen 5 (1:50, ab7046, Abcam), ACVR2a (1:100, PA5-13886, Thermo Fisher Scientific), ACVR2b (1:100, ab135635, Abcam) overnight at 4°C. Sections were exposed to matching secondary antibodies (Jackson ImmunoResearch) for 1 hour at room temperature and staining was developed using 3,3′-diaminobenzidine. Nuclei were stained with hematoxylin. Quantification of proteins was done by analyzing both the proportion and intensity and presented as fold-change normalized to control.
Migration assay
Migration of NOF151 was measured in vitro. Inserts (8 μm; Millipore) were coated with 1% gelatin for migration assays. A total of 50,000 cells were placed in each upper well and allowed to move toward conditioned medium in the lower chamber in the presence or absence of NE. Migration was assessed 6 hours after treatment by fixing the cells in Protocol Hema3 (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Cells were counted in 5 randomly chosen high-power fields, and cell counts are reported as average numbers of cells migrated.
Collagen staining
Collagen distribution and density were assessed by using Masson trichrome staining (Abcam) and Sirius staining (Chrondrex) for both paraffin and frozen slides. Paraffin sections were deparaffinized and dehydrated/rehydrated in alcohol and distilled water, and frozen slides were dried at room temperature followed by fixation in formalin for 30 minutes. Slides were then fixed in preheated Bouin Solution (Sigma-Aldrich). Slides were washed in tap water until the water ran clear, and Abcam's staining protocol was followed. Quantification of collagens was done by analyzing both the proportion and intensity and presented as fold change normalized to control. Nuclei were stained with Weigert iron hematoxylin. Sirius Red/Fast Green Collagen staining for collagens 1 and 3 was done by using a kit (Chondrex).
qRT–PCR
Total RNA was extracted from cells by using the Zymo Research RNA isolation kit with TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen) according to the manufacturer's standard protocol. Complementary DNA was synthesized from 1 μg of total RNA using the Verso cDNA Synthesis kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific) according to the supplier protocol, using random hexamers and oligo-dT primers in a 3:1 ratio. Quantitative PCR was performed using SYBR Green Master Mix on the 7500 Real-Time PCR System (Applied Biosystems) and standard protocols. The primer sequences used are included in Supplemental Table 4.
Proteome profiler
NOF151 cells were exposed to serum-free medium, medium conditioned by untreated cancer cells, or medium conditioned by NE-treated cancer cells. The conditioned media were spun down at 200 g to remove cell debris. Total protein from each culture was quantified according to Bradford protein assay, and 250 μg of each protein sample was assayed in parallel using a Human Cytokine Array kit (R&D Systems), according to the manufacturer's protocol.
Inhibin β A ELISA
The inhibin β A ELISA kit was obtained from MyBiosource. Supernatants from HeyA8 cells treated with NE or a specific β-blocker, and with control or INHBA siRNA, were collected and spun down to remove cell debris. Supernatants were immediately stored at –80°C until use. The ELISA kit was used per the manufacturer's instructions. In short, a plate was incubated with standards or 1:10 diluted supernatants for 2 hours. The plate was then incubated with biotin-labeled antibody for 1 hour. After the plate was washed with PBS, it was developed with colorimetric reagent and read at 540 nm. Results are expressed as pg protein/million cells.
Clinical samples
Renal cell carcinoma. Fresh renal cell carcinoma tumor samples were obtained during surgery. In short, a minimum of 2 grams of tumor was obtained and processed from each patient by a surgical pathologist who immediately dissected the specimen in a sterile fashion. The tumor was placed in RPMI 1640 medium, cut into 1-mm pieces, and minced using sterile forceps and a sterile scalpel. The digest was washed through a mesh to obtain a single-cell suspension, and viable cells counted. The vials were maintained overnight at –80°C and then transferred to liquid nitrogen. The MD Anderson IRB approved the protocols for handling and analyzing the specimens. Patients provided written informed consent for the collection of specimens and clinical data in accordance with the ethics guidelines of and with approval from the MD Anderson IRB (41). Patients also completed several psychosocial questionnaires given by the Department of Behavioral Science at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The CES-D was used to assess depressive symptoms, with scores of 16 or above classified as meeting the screening criteria for depressive symptoms. Samples from 4 patients with low CES-D scores (CES-D score < 4; 2 females and 2 males) and 5 patients with high CES-D scores (CES-D score > 21; 3 males and 2 females), matched for having stage 2 or 3 disease, were chosen for analysis.
Ovarian cancer. Fresh tumor samples were obtained from surgery and frozen in liquid nitrogen within approximately 30 minutes following surgical removal from the patient. Tumor (0.1 g) was processed for total RNA, and genome-wide transcription analyzed using Affymetrix U133A high-density oligonucleotide arrays. Total RNA was extracted and treated with DNAse (Qiagen) following the manufacturer's protocol to remove DNA impurities (followed by 1 wash in RW1 reagent and 1 wash in RPE reagent to remove excess salt). An Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer was used to analyze RNA purity and integrity and Affymetrix U133A array was used for gene expression in the UCLA DNA Microarray Core, as previously described (19). IRBs at the University of Iowa, the University of Miami, and the University of California at Los Angeles approved the protocols. For this data set, psychosocial data were obtained from patients undergoing surgical resection of ovarian carcinoma. Patients completed the CES-D (42) and Social Provisions Scale (SPS) (43) at home between their initial clinic visit and their surgery. High biobehavioral risk was determined by scores of 16 or higher on the CES-D and an SPS attachment subscale score below 15 (the median value). Tumors from 5 patients with high and 5 with low biobehavioral risk were matched for stage, grade, and histological subtype.
TCGA data. Primary ovarian cancer samples from TCGA were used to generate survival graphs using an online tool (44). In short, this tool uses gene expression data (Affymetrix platform) from 522 patients to generate overall and progression-free survival using the probe 210511_s_at for INHBA. The samples were split by the median value and best cutoff was selected automatically. For survival analyses, the tumor types of interest are breast (BRCA), OV, colon, and rectum. General plots showing the hazard ratio, confidence interval, and P value for each case were generated for the entire data set.
Bioinformatics analysis
Netwalker. NetWalker (https://netwalkersuite.org/) was used to analyze whole-tumor gene expression data from ovarian cancer patients with known biobehavioral risk scores (GSE9116), calculated as above. Using Netwalker we developed unbiased networks of upregulated and downregulated genes. Analyses were run considering the ratio (average of high biobehavioral risk/low biobehavioral risk). The network with the highest scoring interactions throughout was identified, along with the functions of the genes involved.
IPA. Significantly upregulated genes (fold-change > 2) for whole-tumor gene expression data from ovarian cancer patient with known biobehavioral risks (GSE9116) were compared with those identified by comparing microdissected CAFs with normal fibroblasts from ovarian tissue (GSE40643). Common genes that were upregulated in both settings were identified. IPA was used to identify potential upstream regulators of CAFs. The genes identified were then compared to a gene array of Skov3-ip1 and HeyA8 cells that were treated with NE to identify potential regulators that can be activated by adrenergic stimulation.
Oncomine. To identify genes that are significantly correlated with INHBA, we analyzed the TCGA data sets for ovarian, colorectal, and breast cancers using Oncomine (https://www.oncomine.org/). Significantly coexpressed genes from ovarian, breast, and colorectal cancers were identified and tabulated.
RNA-Seq data. From the Level 3 (public) data from TCGA, including values from RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) assays, we generated plots that included summary values for INHBA from "RNA-SeqV2" across all tumor types, including all samples for which these data were available. The samples are ordered by tissue type.
MS Excel or GraphPad Prism software was used to analyze data. Either 2-tailed Student's t test or analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Mann-Whitney test were used to compare differences between continuous variables. We determined that, using 2-way ANOVA, a sample size of 10 animals per group would provide an effective size of 1.3 with 80% power at a significance of P equals 0.05. We considered P less than 0.05 to be significant. All statistical analysis results were expressed as mean ± SEM.
Study approval
The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas), where the experiments were carried out, reviewed and approved all animal experiments. The MD Anderson IRB (Houston, Texas) reviewed and approved the protocols for handling and analyzing the renal cell carcinoma specimens. Patients provided written informed consent for the collection of specimens and clinical data in accordance with the ethics guidelines of and with approval from the IRB at MD Anderson. IRBs at the University of Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), the University of Miami (Miami, Florida), and the University of California at Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California) approved the protocols for collection of ovarian tumors from patients and written consent was provided by all patients in the study.
ASN and AKS conceived the project and designed the experiments. ASN, GAP, KMG, JKA, NCS, LSM, NBJ, YK, SP, SYW, YL, and MH carried out or participated in in vitro and in vivo experiments. CRA and GLB designed and prepared nanoliposomes for in vivo studies. JL and SCM provided normal ovarian fibroblast cell line used for in vitro studies. LC provided the renal carcinoma samples. YW and KB analyzed RNA-Seq data from TCGA samples across cancer types. PR analyzed patient gene arrays with NetWalker for protein interaction analysis. ASN, RLD, SYW, and CI designed and performed computational analyses. SKL and LC contributed to assessment of psychosocial factors and patient data analysis. ASN wrote the manuscript. ASN, SKL, LC, SWC, and AKS participated in manuscript preparation. All authors edited and approved the final manuscript.
View Supplemental data
We thank the following for funding support to AKS: the NIH (CA116778, CA104825, CA109298, CA193249 and CA140933, P50CA083639, P50CA098258, AG017265, AG033590); the RGK Foundation; the American Cancer Society Research Professor award; the Blanton-Davis Ovarian Cancer Research Program; and the Frank McGraw Memorial Chair in Cancer Research. SWC is supported by NIH grants CA116778, AG017265, and AG033590. AN is supported in part by the CPRIT Graduate Scholar Fellowship (RP140106). KMG is supported Altman-Goldstein Discovery fellowship. SYW is supported by Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance, Foundation for Women's Cancer, Colleen Dream Foundation, and CPRIT training grants (RP101502 and RP101489). RLD is supported by the NCI-DHHS-NIH T32 training grant (T32 CA101642). MH is supported by a fellowship of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). YAL is supported by a training fellowship from the Keck Center of the Gulf Coast Consortia, on the Training Program in Biomedical Informatics, National Library of Medicine (NLM) T15LM007093 (PI, Lydia E. Kavraki) and by P50 CA083639. SP is supported by a Foundation for Women's Cancer grant. This research was supported in part by NCI grant R01CA090966 (PI, Lorenzo Cohen), by NCI grants CA193249 and CA140933 (PI, SKL), NCI Core grant CA016672 awarded to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the Richard E. Haynes Distinguished Professorship in Clinical Cancer Prevention. We would also like to thank Kathryn Hale at MD Anderson for help with scientific editing.
GAP's present address is: Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Pharmacology, Ponce Health Sciences University and Division of Cancer Biology, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
YK's present address is: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Conflict of interest: The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.
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The thrill of putting it all out there
With online exhibitionism, you can be as free as you want to expose as much of yourself as you want without looking over your shoulder for the county sheriff. This makes the Internet an ideal fantasy playground.
Nov. 9, 2006, 6:11 AM UTC / Source: msnbc.com contributor
By Brian Alexander
BALTIMORE — Not long into my instant message conversation with "Don," it's obvious there is no way to know if he is who he says he is, if he's answering my questions honestly or if he's playing me for a chump. All I know for sure is that Don placed an image on his IM profile that appeared on my monitor when we began chatting. At first the image he used to represent himself was that of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. But he's just replaced that one with another, so now I'm looking at a shot of a torso complete with an erect penis. I assume that's him, but then again, you never know.
Don, an American, says he is on a business trip to Europe and doing what he often does during downtime — firing up his Web cam and exposing himself to the world. The body parts look to be about the right age, 49, and his conversation seems mature enough. Plus, I have managed to contact Don through other online exhibitionists I have met in person. Still, it's possible Don is actually a lonely retiree in Yellowknife, Canada who's surfing the Internet between glances at "Wheel of Fortune."
This is exactly the point of online exhibitionism, and why so many people have started doing it. You can be as free as you want to expose as much of yourself as you want without looking over your shoulder for the county sheriff. This makes the Internet an ideal fantasy playground where anybody can launch naked signal flares into the digital sky to announce: "I'm here, and I'm hot."
Homemade erotica has been around forever. When Polaroid introduced its Model 95 camera in 1948, average people were given the power to produce personal porn on a mass scale because nobody had to develop the pictures. But digital culture has broadened the possibilities. There are dozens of ways to use digital media to expose yourself, ranging from the mild to the X-rated.
Bikini retailers host online "customer galleries" featuring women (and sometimes men) wearing thongs and see-through tops, or no tops at all. On some sites, Web surfers can send e-mails to their favorite bikini-clad woman stating just how much they appreciate the view.
Popular exhibitionist Web sites such as Red Clouds, Watcher's Web, Voyeurweb and True Voyeur offer the same service, allowing every man and woman the chance to let the world see what they look like naked on a rubber float in the backyard pool or spread-eagle in the Barcalounger, and to read how excited (or not) that makes others. The sites appear to have a strong following. Among users of the Alexa Web search Toolbar, for instance, Voyeurweb ranks as the 398th most popular Web site over the past three months. In other words, out of every million users, 1,075 go to Voyeurweb and average 17.7 page views.
There also are sex blogs everywhere now, and MySpace and Flickr are populated by people posing like porn stars.
Of course, "online exhibitionism" sounds creepily similar to "online predator" and "kiddie porn," and the potential for that kind of abuse is great. But the exhibitionists I contacted all stress that not only are they concerned parents themselves who closely monitor the Internet use of their kids, they also regard such use of the technology as a scourge.
The mom next door
For Susan, Internet exhibitionism has uses of a very interactive kind. I visited Susan in her Maryland home with "Michael" (who asked I not use his real first name), a man Susan met online. Susan uses the Net to trade images of herself with individuals and couples she meets through computer chats and online ads. Sometimes she is naked, sometimes she's performing a sex act.
Susan describes herself "as very much an exhibitionist," but she's nothing like the grizzled guy in the trench coat. She is a middle-aged medical professional, a church-goer and a mother. She is studying for an advanced degree. She calls herself "Rubenesque" and though she is attractive, she does not look like a centerfold model.
"Something I am not interested in is losing my sexuality," she says. "For a woman that is more of a fight." Taking digital pictures of herself, trading them with others and knowing they appreciate them helps her reclaim her feminine sexual identity.
Michael and Susan met when she answered an ad he placed on Craigslist (where ads for sex partners often display the advertiser's genitals). They exchanged nude pictures, met in person and have now struck up what Michael, also a middle-aged professional who works as an executive at a high-tech company and is a father, calls "an intimate friendship." Sometimes they include other people they meet online in their lovemaking, in threesomes or foursomes.
For Michael and Susan, the digital realm is liberating. "I can be free to think the things I want to think and not only think them but act upon them," he says. "How cool is that? You can dream the dream and then go make it real. This is a portal into a parallel universe. I mean, it's a wild world."
That world has been further fueled by technology. Thanks to broadband connections, Web cams and instant messaging, anybody can carve out a space in which they can act in ways they might not outside the virtual world.
"At church ... or wherever your community is, you cannot be real open and talk about your sexuality," Susan says. "But you sure can online. And you can very easily find somebody who is interested in the same things you are."
Many online exhibitionists have no idea who is on the other end of a Web cam and don't really want to know. But some, like Susan and Michael, eventually drop the anonymity because their ultimate goal is to make online fantasies real. "My goal is skin to skin," Susan says.
Don, Susan and Michael do not generally put their pictures up on public Web sites, preferring instead to trade and communicate — often using instant messaging — with a more select audience of their own choosing. Susan, for example, has occasionally viewed Don's camming sessions. She says finding an audience is not difficult.
"I do have ads up on a couple of different Web sites but I think there are networks of people," Susan says. "If you meet somebody and they know 20 people who know 20 people who know 20 people, it is pretty easy to get an expanded community."
That is just what Don has created. At first, he surfed the Web looking for still images of naked female exhibitionists. Then around the year 2000, "when I learned that computers could broadcast cams, I watched a few ladies, usually only topless, perform for me on the Web … Eventually I met a [woman] from Florida who showed me everything and begged me to get a cam. I did, and soon found myself stripping for her. I looked for others who liked it too, and didn't have to look far."
For Don, "camming" usually means displaying himself masturbating, often with one or more women, and sometimes a man, as his audience. Often the camming is mutual, with Don and a woman, using her Web cam to display herself to Don, instant messaging dirty talk back and forth.
'Avenue of escape'
Now, Don tells me, he has about 120 regulars with whom he frequently chats and "cams." He has had virtual sex over the cam with many more people than that, and he does it most nights when he is on the road.
"The digital world," he says, "gives me an avenue of escape to secret desires where I can find fulfillment." He is able to satisfy "a private hard-core lover hidden inside of me" that he can express online in anonymity.
That anonymity is important because Don, who tells me he is a conservative Republican Catholic and somewhat shy in real life, is married with children. His wife knows nothing about his online sex life.
"I am basically a moral person but flawed major league when it comes to sex," he says. "And yet there is this secret side to me that must be satisfied … I have always had a streak of exhibitionism in me and felt guilty about that."
He is torn. On the one hand, he worries there might be something wrong with him. On the other, he feels release when he's "camming."
"I think of [online exhibitionism] as pure erotic expression of human desire," he says. "We seek escape from our difficulties, from our routine or pressures, and this gives it to us."
So far, it's tough to say whether Don's form of escape will continue to grow, or if the novelty of digitally mediated exhibitionism will wear off. But it's clear that, for now at least, many Americans are thrilled by the prospect of being their own porn star.
Brian Alexander, a California-based freelance writer and MSNBC.com's Sexploration columnist, is traveling around the country to find out how Americans get sexual satisfaction. Alexander, also a Glamour contributing editor, is chronicling his work in the MSNBC.com special report "America Unzipped" and in an upcoming book for Harmony, an imprint of Crown Publishing. In the final installment in this series, he discusses whether we're satisfied yet.
Brian Alexander


text:
#import "PKAnimation.h"
#import "PKAnimating.h"

typedef void(^PKSequentialAnimationProgressBlock)(NSValue *fromValue, NSValue *toValue, NSUInteger index);

@interface PKSequentialAnimation : NSObject <PKAnimating>

#pragma mark - Properties
@property (nonatomic, copy, readwrite) PKSequentialAnimationProgressBlock progressHandler;

#pragma mark - Methods
+ (instancetype)animationForKeyPath:(NSString *)keyPath
                             values:(NSArray *)values
                           duration:(NSTimeInterval)duration;

+ (instancetype)animationForKeyPath:(NSString *)keyPath
                             values:(NSArray *)values
                           duration:(NSTimeInterval)duration
                           progress:(PKSequentialAnimationProgressBlock)progress
                         completion:(PKAnimationCompletionBlock)completion;

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
package jace.ui;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.net.URL;
import java.net.URLConnection;
import java.util.logging.Level;
import java.util.logging.Logger;

/**
 * Nothing yet, but will be a software librarian of sorts one day...
 * @author Brendan Robert (BLuRry) brendan.robert@gmail.com
 */
public class Library {
    public static void main (String... args) {
        try {
            // Type: a = ascii, d = directory listing, i = image (binary)
            URL url = new URL("ftp://anonymous:jaceuser@ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/images/;type=d");
            URLConnection urlc = url.openConnection();
            InputStream is = urlc.getInputStream(); // To upload
            byte[] buffer = new byte[4096];
            int bytesRead = is.read(buffer);
            while (bytesRead > 0) {
                String s = new String(buffer, 0, bytesRead);
                System.out.println(s);
                bytesRead = is.read(buffer);
            }
        } catch (IOException ex) {
            Logger.getLogger(Library.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
    }
}


text:
Sue's Reviews
Review: A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
In Arast, the weight of a coin could mean the difference between war and peace. And for a prince and his bodyguard, it could mean the difference between life and death. For the quiet and dutiful Prince Kadou, court politics is something managed by others who have more interest. His sister, the Sultan, has recently given birth and Kadou is happy to play the doting uncle and to stay out of the spotlight. But when an incident on a hunt leads to death and embarrassment for the Sultan, Kadou finds himself struggling to avoid exile and to manage his sister's wrath.
As part of his punishment, Kadou is assigned a new bodyguard, a dutiful but distant man called Evemer. Initially, Evemer sees little to recommend his charge — after all, men are dead because of Kadou's actions. Then Evemer begins to see another side to Kadou, who suffers in silence from crippling anxiety and bears the awful weight of his every decision. As Evemer and Kadou navigate their new circumstances, they must also unravel a mystery involving counterfeit coins and a court betrayal. Before it is done, two men will risk everything to save the country they love and to save one another.
A Taste of Gold and Iron was a beautiful read with a pair of engaging main characters and strong world building that held my interest from beginning to end.
It's rare to find a book where both protagonists read as truly balanced. One seems to always have more weight than the other, but with A Taste of Gold and Iron, Kadou and Evemer feel vibrant, believable, and equal in both their strengths and weakness. Kadou's self loathing and his struggle with anxiety are rendered with such realism it was easy as a reader to empathize with and champion him. Just as compelling was Evemer's sense of duty and loyalty, which evolve from something stiff and formal to a very real devotion and love for Kadou. These characters work well together and they're the primary reason the book works and works on multiple levels. There are strong secondary characters as well, and one in particular assists in creating an engaging court life that builds out the world of A Taste of Gold and Iron until it reads as lusciously and vibrantly chaotic.
The only downside to the book is a slightly uneven plot. The basic storyline makes sense and works, but the reasons behind the whole counterfeiting ring and how the reveal plays are out are wobbly. It just reads as a stretch that an entire conspiracy was roiling below the surface given the structure of the Court and the extent of its reach. It didn't overly detract from my reading. Rather, I just found myself questioning some of the plot points and whether or not they were actually supported.
I throughly enjoyed A Taste of Gold and Iron. The characters strong and well rounded. The romance that develops is a slow burning one that makes sense in the context of the wider action. The plot doesn't always hold up to scrutiny, but it isn't so off the wall as to be distracting either. Any fan of fantasies with solid world building and engaging characters will likely enjoy this one.
June Favorite Books
Review: A Tangled Legacy by Mickie B. Ashling
Review: The Exile Prince by Isabelle Adler
Review: Prince's Gambit by C.S. Pacat
FILED UNDER: 5 stars, Fantasy, Sue's Reviews
TAGGED: Alexandra Rowland, anxiety, bodyguard, mental health, royalty, Tor.com


text:
Preface of a Saint (2)
PRAYER (traditional language)
Almighty God, we thank thee for those women and men in our midst who, like Katharina Zell, work to build up thy kingdom not only in word but in deed—not only the work of the mind but also the work of the heart—not only with pens but with their presence. Fill us, as she was, with the wisdom to speak out in defense of thy truth. Fill us, as she was, with love for thee and for our neighbor, that we may serve thee and welcome all thy people with a mother's heart. Amen.
PRAYER (contemporary language)
Almighty God, we thank you for those women and men in our midst who, like Katharina Zell, work to build up your kingdom not only with words but with deeds—not only the work of the mind but also the work of the heart—not only with pens but with their presence. Fill us, like her, with the wisdom to speak out in defense of your truth. Fill us, like her, with love for you and for our neighbor, that we may serve you and welcome all your people with a mother's heart. Amen.
This commemoration appears in Lesser Feasts & Fasts 2018 for trial use.
Return to Lectionary Home Page
Webmaster: Charles Wohlers
Last updated: 4 July 2020
KATHARINA ZELL
CHURCH REFORMER AND WRITER, 1562
Katharina Schütz Zell (1497/8 - September 5, 1562) was a Protestant reformer and writer during the Protestant Reformation. She was one of the first Protestant women to marry a clergyman. Katharina lived all of her life in Strasbourg, now part of France.
Katharina Schütz Zell was most likely born in early 1498 in Strasbourg. Her family was not overly wealthy, but most-likely lived comfortably. Katharina received an excellent vernacular education. It is clear that she learned to read and write German fluently, and eventually developed some basic knowledge of Latin. Katharina's interests in learning were mainly religious, as well as professional training, particularly preparation for an independent profession.This was also not the end of her education. She took it upon herself to continue independent learning throughout the rest of her life.
When Katharina was still fairly young, the teachings and writings of Martin Luther gained fame and began to spread. Katharina was introduced to much of these new teachings and views of religion by Matthew Zell, the pastor who took charge of the St. Lawrence Cathedral in Strasbourg in 1518. Katharina eventually started to take these beliefs as her own through Zell's sermons and Luther's teachings. A few years after Matthew came to Strasbourg, he and Katharine were married by Martin Bucer on December 3, 1523. Katharina Schütz was convinced that she was called to marry Matthew Zell as an expression of her faith in God and her love for others. Katharina was one of the first people to get married to a pastor, even before the marriage of Martin Luther, something that was not necessarily thought too highly of at the time. Her marriage was what would be seen as a true equal partnership in a society that required that the good wife be silent and obedient, and in which women usually only achieved independence as widows. Katharina had two children with Matthew, although they both died at very young ages. Mathew died on January 9, 1548. Though Katharina mourned and grieved his death, this did not stop her work.Katharina herself became ill in 1561 and died on September 5, 1562.
Katharina is noted greatly for her writings and unique personal beliefs. She was very open-minded for a person of her time period and showed it through her actions and writings.
One of Katharina's occupations was that of a pamphleteer. Pamphlets were essential for Protestantism during the Reformation. The pamphlets served to inform a wide audience quickly and with dogmatic effectiveness on current affairs. As a woman of this time period, Katharina did have challenges not faced by male pamphleteers would not have had. In facing criticism Katharina would remind her criticizers that she never forgot her responsibility as a wife and that she was her husband's partner. "This is why my pious husband only called me his curate, although I never stood on the pulpit – something I did not have to do in my line of duties."
Katharina's experiences do not reflect those of the majority of women during the Reformation. Women of this time period were expected to conform to certain roles and rules which were institutionally and socially enforced on them. Katharina is an example of a woman who broke through these barriers to get her beliefs out to the public. Katharina also differs from some other women reformers in that she was not subject to much threatening opposition. One woman who faced some of this opposition was Argula von Grumbach, another influential pamphleteer.
more at Wikipedia


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