#stem positvity

[simbistardis]

Stem(me) Lesbian Theory Masterpost

A stemme or stem lesbian is short for stud-femme lesbian. This is a Black lesbian term to describe lesbians whose mannerisms and gender presentation fall between stud and femme. This is a post of the key sources I've found:

Articles and Studies

John Jay College of Criminal Justice LGBTQ+ Terminology, Eli R. Green, 2003-2004)

'Stem – A person whose gender expression falls somewhere between a stud and a femme. (See also ‘Femme’ and ‘Stud’.)'

Lipstick or Timberlands? Meanings of Gender Presentation in Black Lesbian Communities, Three physical presentations of gender: Femme, gender-blender, and transgressive, Moore, Mignon R. (2006)

'Rather than a de-emphasis on femininity or masculinity, genderblenders combine specific aspects of both to create a unique look.'

Selection from "Black lesbian gender and sexual culture: celebration and resistance," by Bianca D.M. Wilson, published in Culture, Health & Sexuality, Vol. 11, No 3, April 2009 - Taken from belowdesire reblogged by princessrococco on Pillowfort

'Despite a consistent description of femme and stud at the extremes of lesbian gender expression, participants also discussed several labels that fell between the ultra femme-hard stud ends of the continuum, such as ‘soft stud’ and ‘aggressive femme’. Labels like these represented lesbians that blended both masculine and feminine ways in their public expression and/or sexual behaviours, but with a purposeful leaning toward more masculine or feminine identity.'

Lesbian Identity: Stemme, Nell S., 6th Nov 2009

'A Stemme is the in-between identity of a Stud and Femme. She is apart of both groups and her identity is subject to change at anytime. A Stemme identity is often referred to as the transitional stage; however, some lesbian women remain a Stemme because they enjoy representing male and female dominance."'

STORY OF INTEREST: Lesbian Speaks Out, Dominica News Online, April 12th 2010

'"one who could switch up one day, she could be a femme and other occasions dress like she has a li’l hood, li’l ghetto inside her; a stemme – part femme part stud a tomboy"'

Good gay females and babies' daddies: Black lesbian community norms and the acceptability of pregnancy, Sarah J. Reed, Robin Lin Miller, Maria T. Valenti & Tina M. Timm, 21st April 2011

'Stemmes presented themselves one day as femme and another day as stud; as such, they were visibly unrecognisable unless they divulged their gender identity. Stemmes expose the amorphous nature of gender identity and are invisible – silenced, ostracised or prescribed a gender identity.'

“It Ain’t All as Bad as it May Seem”: Young Black Lesbians’ Responses to Sexual Prejudice, Sarah J. Reed and Maria T. Valenti (2012)

'Stemmes, often blatantly ignored, derogated, or even physically threatened because of their vacillating gender identities, often made use of this strategy: "…if they wanted to act like a femme that day, they could get pleasured. If they wanted to act like a stud that day, they can pleasure. They got the best of both worlds actually. To me, that’s how I see it." '

Labelling, Butch, Femme Dyke Or Lipstick, Aren't All Lesbians The Same?: An Exploration Of Labels And "Looks" Among Lesbians In The U.S. South, Danielle Kerr, (2013)

'Short Dawg said, "A stem, for me, is a little mixture of a lot of different things. One day you can be super feminine, and the next day you can be not so feminine."' 'Jessica states: They [stem] might…have hair. They might not go straight to cutting their hair, or they might have haircuts, and some stems have short little afros, natural things.'

Good and Messy: Lesbian and Transgender Identities by Matt Richardson, taken from forum: Lesbian generations, L.J. Rupp, Nan Alamilla Boyd, R. Vanita, M. Richardson, S. Stryker (2013)

'“Stem” (or the combination of “stud” and “femme”) is a Southern African American term for someone who identifies as masculine and feminine.'

'Cultural Factors in the Adherence to Traditional Gender Roles in the Same-Sex Relationships of Black Women, Bianca D. Christian (2019)

'Stem. Another important term to consider in this subgroup is “Stem,” which is a term that is also almost exclusively utilized in the Black lesbian community. This term is a conglomeration of the aesthetics of the “Stud” and “Femme.” Often these women can appear very feminine one day and then appear very masculine the next day. Some of these women can also style themselves with both aesthetics simultaneously. '

Videos

WTH is a Stem?? - Amberscloset (2013)

The Black Lesbian Handbook: The Stem (2015)

[tokyosmega]

yesterday my high school had our final awards. there's a special award for students who have completed 8 semesters of science classes, with 4 of those semesters being ap classes.

i'm proud to announce EVERYONE who walked up onto stage to receive their certificate was a woman :)

[apostate-chic]

My experiences are not universal and I'm not the sole person this was written for but I cannot associate anything positve with Lucanis' comparison about first kisses and Honey and Lavender Cream because my grandmother, my mom, and her sisters all have a weird obsession with lavender. Every linen closet is filled with dried lavender, every soap is lavender, candied lavender is used for decorating cakes, lavender stems are put onto presents ... it's not like their family or region has anything to do with lavender???? They're just like that?

For me, lavender is a depression smell and body hate taste

[arosexpositivity]

Et tu, aro blog? skeletalroses [dot] tumblr [dot] com/post/692970874729545728 (I hate that I have to vet every single individual reblog of this post but come on)

Link. Archival link.

Yes, et moi.

Your chosen examples of horror fandom aphobia were:

Reducing horniness is swagless

Disagreeing with the underlying sexual connotations of a myth is homophobic

Horror is about love

It's obvious to me that with the first and second, your intent was to communicate, "demanding sexual content and mocking people who do not produce sexual content for you is acephobic."

That it's the act of bullying that is the problem.

I agree completely.

But the delivery, especially later in the thread, contributes to the overall effect of saying it's the sex that's bad, not the cruelty.

For all that I am aro too, I am also a sex positvity blog. That means walking the line of BOTH making it very clear that anyone who harasses, insults or denigrates others for a disinterest in sex is an fucking asshole with no respect for consent, and making it clear that horniness is not actually a bad thing.

The profusion of "sexy queer monster stuff" in recent years does not even manage to overtake the mainstream fact of horror being a pathos driven genre dominated primarily by violence.

I am unbelievably sickened by violence, btw. I throw up watching marvel movies. My delusions are often triggered by psychological and fantastic horror, too. Horror's content is pretty fundamentally inaccessible to me.

I do not then turn around and make a whole thread about how that inaccessibility is an act of insidious anti-psychotic bigotry, rather than just a natural consequence of genre convention.

Instead, I go find the horror fans who make non-violent content, engaging with the genre through reviews, meta analyses, and fandom. Because not everything that makes me feel alienated is the result of bigotry. Sometimes, it's just a matter of having to say, "this space is not good for me, I'm out" and making your own or picking a new hobby.

Someone being horny over horror in public is not an attack on you.

Someone being insulting absolutely is, but... well, like I said. I am a fan of horror, an aromantic, and a relatively well studied queer theorist to boot. And I haven't seen nearly as much of those insults, as I have seen aggressive pushback against them.

This is not to say they aren't out there. Of course they are! This isn't the kind of commentary one makes up on a whim. That would be as absurd as you saying "I've never seen someone use 'horny' to mean big and sweaty" and thinking that means it doesn't happen.

But it does mean you can avoid them.

Honestly, though, the real issue I have with that thread stems from the last bullet point. "Horror is about love."

This is a notion I've seen circulate occasionally for years, but never dominate, and I haven't seen it dominate right now either. Maybe it is! Maybe my curation and avoidance have gotten so good that I'm echo chambering myself away from all that nonsense.

But even so, even so?

This recent fixation on "love" as being an axis of oppression makes me fucking insane. Absolutely frothing at the mouth with outrage.

It so obsessively and gleefully centers romantic love as the highest form of human interaction. Which, given that it's supposed to be describing my experiences as an aromantic, aplatonic, anarchic person, makes me want to strangle myself.

If you declare all "love" to be outside yourself, you aren't just furthering the association of "love" with "romance," you're actively trying to separate yourself from the rest of humanity. Not because "(romantic) love is what makes us human."

But because "love" is an umbrella term that contains many of the specific things that make us human: compassion, trust, forethought, passion for ourselves, each other, our arts, our world, the desire to know and care for something whether it is ourself or outside ourself.

And I'm sorry, but as someone who has spent their entire life being called a violent monster by my family for being aro and pscyhotic, pre-emptively attacked for my lack of Human Qualities Like """""love""""" because everyone knows Brown People Aren't Capable Of Higher Emotions?

I'm not fucking interested in people telling me how "love" is beyond my ability to fathom and that I cannot be interested in exploring the ways love interacts with horror.

I'm just not fucking interested in being told that for my own good, I need to sit quietly and stay chill when someone is shit talking everything from horniness to love in the name of "protecting me" from one of my own hobbies.

[ferie-anon]

Hello friend !! I’d like to request a ship for BTS please ? I’m an Aries sun, Virgo moon, Aries mercury, Taurus venus, Aries mars, and a Capricorn jupiter ! Thank you for taking the time to do this! Hope you’re having a great day. ❤️

Suree, Aries sun with virgo moon, honest and passionate yet can be a perfectionist and organized. With your virgo moon you are very organized and attentive to the details surrounding your interests and passions/goals, as aries sun show you are a bright learner with good morals. Your aries mercury show you are direct in providing your opinions and thoughts, and there is some admiration from others of your strong perception of things and astuteness derived from your sun and moon placements. Taurus venus shows you desire security and comfort/trust in someone, someone that is reliable that you can put your faith in. You may be a bit slow in initiating stuff or just may wait and see at times, and you are generally warm and kind to your loved ones and close ones. Aries mars prompts you to be driven and passionate in where you may put your heart in the things you love to do/goals/interests. Like fire burning endlessly once latching on to the targetted wood/grass. I won’t do jupiter since this analysis description will be too long to read 😅✨🐥

In Bts... your match is Jimin~

Jimin is sweet, understanding, and has a keen eye for details. With his libra sun gemini moon this creates a very intelligent combo that can easily learn new crafts/skills. The parallels of aries and libra are back at it again~ As Jimin’s calm and reasonable logic may amaze your straightforward analytical approach. Virgo and gemini are both ruled by mercury, so both of these ppl can process and learn to pick up info easier, with their brain constantly being active. If placed in a scenario, you both admired each other in the same building/school. Jimin was very eloquent and had people skills, while you were very bright and passionate about the things you learn with a constant yearn to help others. Jimin admired your kind heart, and found the contrasting strong spirit within to be charismatic. Your admiration towards Jimin stemmed from his logicality yet natural intellect, everything Jimin did sorta made your heart skip.

First off, let’s talk about Jimin’s moon~ Gemini moon, Jimin can be very sharp at picking things up and with his mental power capacity, he is inherently smart and it goes past academic lengths. I would say Jimin can be people smart like having social skills and discerning things, as well as having better ability to accomplish new skills/tasks given. With Jimin’s libra sun, he may be more cheerful and easier to get along, but that doesn’t mean that he is inherently oblivious or just an angel, he a sharp-witted angel 😇. With your virgo moon, you appreciate his strong mentality, and you two may make for a very smart and communicative pair. Virgo moon’s analytical nature allows them to dissect information and intake it easier when they are focusing on the certain topic, and with gemini moon’s quick learning nature ppl usually would be in awe when they work together in a project or partners for an assignment, cuz the big brain power and chemistry between u two is very entertaining to others (in a good way). (This might be the case due to virgo and gemini’s ruling planet both being being mercury the planet of communication) Witty banter is a must and tbh, you two secretly enjoy it cuz each others remarks and comebacks hit the nail usually towards each other, and adoration and admiration is present in this connection.

Next up, his mercury is in libra~ Yea your mercury aries is opposite to his mercury libra on the zodiac wheel, however like they say opposites attract. His mercury in libra is adept at communicating and socializing, these can make for a charismatic or easygoing person that can take social cues/sociability to the next level. That doesn’t mean Jimin isn’t smart of choosing his words, libra mercury ppl are rational through the choices of their words and decisions, and they do think quite often when they need to. Your aries mercury may seem more going headfirst before thinking and is honest and clear of your own opinions. However as aries and libra are sister signs in the zodiac, they both have similar qualities that are executed differently. Your aries mercury may be labeled as brash, but your assertiveness comes with intelligence of your own beliefs and perceptiveness. Aries people are quick to make decisions instead of pondering because they know what they want or choose quicker than others, and that shows their inner intelligence. You both will contribute to having different takes on actions and your point of views, Jimin can balance out with his slow methodical take on things, and you can provide your honest thoughts. You two would be very communicative and this creates a close connection that is capable deep personal conversations.

Also, Jimin’s venus is in scorpio! Your taurus venus and his scorpio venus are opposite to each other, and both are fixed signs. Fixed signs are less reluctant towards change, are known for their reliability, devotion and loyalty. Despite some differences of your love style and desires such as Jimin being more intense and with a sense of passion that has to be felt at times, and your desires being a bit “simple” at times. Maybe you desire simply comfort, stability, and peace within the relationship and at times Jimin’s scorpio venus can clash with this too peaceful approach at times. However, the positve aspects/similarities outweigh this predicament. Jimin is more assertive/flirtatious towards you that may give you the little push to express your affection and love back more comfortably. You both are loyal, so you both would be very commited to each other and not have trust issues, and you both balance each other out with taurus’s calmness and Jimin’s deep feelings at times. You rely on each other a lot through your close chemistry, and sometimes things can get a bit 🌹🔥✨ well we keeping it pg-rated...

Lastly, his mars is in scorpio. His drive comes from his passion and strong focus towards his professions and interests. Your aries mars and his scorpio mars are both passionate about their respective interests/hobbies. You two would enjoy working together and putting your efforts when doing a project or just understand each others work ethics well. You both are quite assertive about the things you prioritize and future goals, so I think Jimin would appreciate your professional and cool attitude during when your serious. You both are playful and can be flirty, but I think Jimin takes it to the next level lol, oh those flirty winks and smiles.

Overall, you two are like the pair that are also the closest critics and friends to each other, the inherent closeness and realness is evident, you two are best friends and lovers at the same time you could say :3  vibe energy -> 💖✨🥳☺️👥🌻🍿🌹✨🔥🌠🌌✨

[krpk-remaking]

im not even saying leorio/kurapika will definitely end up with eachother but their storylines are so clearly connected and theyre so important to eachother and i think right now we all just really need leorio to tell kurapika to stop his emperor time nonsense

also a clarification on the ging/leorio and pariston/kurapika thing

firstly, their appearances are very obviously similar

though, pariston and leorio share a face shape and kurapikas and gings face shape also seems similar and ging/kurapika and leorio/pariston seem to share a height, too

hair color, hair lenght, noses

hair color, hair cut, noses, eye color (kind of)

and of course the zodiac connection of rat and boar, the last and the first zodiacs on the wheel making them complementary zodiacs

(also they generally seem very compatible)

looking at paristons and gings relationship, theyre a lot like kurapika and leorio before they made their peace very early on with gons help and without gon they probably would have a relationship very very similar to paristons and gings even if the rivalry would stem from a different source

leorio and ging opposing eachother is a very clear thing the narrative gives us, ging abandoning gon, not visiting him, not seeing a problem with that, etc

and leorio whos perhaps the most fatherly to gon anyone in the series has been (besides maybe kite and wing) and who punches ging in the face for exactly those reasons.

they may have some things in common but are perfect opposites in this case

kurapika and pariston have no direct interactions but they oppose eachother in a way that pariston seems completely carefree and just does whatever he wants and kurapika being very serious with a clear goal of revenge.

much like pariston though, kurapika has two sides.

in paristons case its his more serious/malicious side that he doesnt show publicly often and in kurapikas case its his younger, softer side, the personality he had before he got severely traumatized (heres a very interesting video on that, by the way)

both ging and pariston seem to beleive that leorio and kurapika are good replacements for them though, since ging copied leorios punch (this he believes that it was a good tactic) and pariston even directly stated it.

in conclusion:

gings and paristons relationship is what kurapikas and leorios relationship could/wouldve been like if they wouldnt have made up that early on by working together during the hunter exam and with gons help

also both foil-pairs are extremely similar, with leorio and kurapika being the more positve presented versions of pariston and ging.

also the rat and boar zodiacs are connected and its clear how important pariston/ging and leorio/kurapika are to the others storyline

not to sound gaybaited but its pretty fucked up how leorio and kurapika are thematically connected

[cancersfakianakis1]

Some chemotherapeutics-treated colon cancer cells display a specific phenotype being a combination of stem-like and senescent cell features.

Related Articles

Some chemotherapeutics-treated colon cancer cells display a specific phenotype being a combination of stem-like and senescent cell features.

Cancer Biol Ther. 2017 Oct 20;:0

Authors: Was H, Czarnecka J, Kowalczyk A, Barszcz K, Bernas T, Piwocka K, Kaminska B

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of death among cancer patients in the Northern countries. CRC can reappear a long time after treatment. Recent clinical studies demonstrated that, in response to chemotherapy, cancer cells may undergo stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS), which typically results in growth arrest. Nonetheless, these senescent cells were reported to divide in an atypical manner and thus contribute to cancer re-growth. Therefore, we examined if SIPS escape may follow treatment with chemotherapeutics used clinically: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), oxaliplatin (OXA) and irinotecan (IRINO). To mimic the therapeutic regimes we exposed human colon cancer HCT116 and SW480 cells to repeated cycles of drug treatment. The cells treated with 5-FU or IRINO exhibited several hallmarks of SIPS: growth arrest, increased size and granularity, polyploidization, augmented activity of the SA-β-galactosidase, accumulation of P21 and CYCLIN D1 proteins, and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Moreover, re-population of the cancer cell cultures was delayed upon treatment with the senescence-inducing agents. At the same time, we detected a subpopulation of senescent colon cancer cells with features of stemness: elevated NANOG expression, exclusion of Hoechst 33342 (typical for side population) and increased CD24 expression. Additionally, rare, polyploid cells exhibited blastocyst-like morphology and produced progeny. In parallel, majority of chemotherapeutics-treated cells underwent mesenchymal to epithelial transition, as the percentage of CD44-positve cells was reduced, and levels of E-cadherin (epithelial marker) were elevated. Our study demonstrates that a subpopulation of chemotherapeutics-treated colon cancer cells display a specific phenotype being a combination of stem-like and senescent cell features. This may contribute to their resistance to chemotherapy and their ability to re-grow cancer after completion of therapeutic intervention.

PMID: 29053388 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://ift.tt/2xVaBpK

[smradlo]

natal chart & confusion

so i have read my natal chart a couple of times (i am kinda interested in astrology but i can’t bring myself to delve deeper for some reason) but only this time i have actually realised how painfully accurate it is. Although I am not experienced whatsoever in astrology with the interpretations provided on that certain website I’ve been able to tell that I am a person that very VERY few will actually like? I may seem approachable at first but oh BOY I got something coming for ya (like ascendant in leo; neptune in vi - great now what; house v in sagittarius - love affairs like? okay? idek?; uranus in vii - ???) i  I mean all that my natal chart suggests is that I’m: a) an individualist that values freedom A LOT; b) passionate but value intellectual people c) basically everything negative that one could come up with.

Great to know that even the stars say what a horrible human being I am. Good to know. 

All jokes aside, the chart was incredibly, incredibly accurate. As I said, painfully accurate. It did include some positve aspects but not all of them were positive, of course. I may as well have high expectations of myself but at this point I shall let the stars speak for themselves:

-83 Opposition Sun - Pluto You may be prone to inner tension and negative, self-destructive behavior. When things are going well, you suffer from fears that something will come along to change that. Constantly worrying that the rug will be pulled from under your feet can easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You possess tremendous power and strength--when you learn to accept and use that strength, instead of fear it, you can be one of the most effective, insightful, helpful, and healing person around! At times, you can be intensely dissatisfied with your personal accomplishments and expressions of self. You put a lot of pressure on yourself regarding your own endeavors. You can be quite dissatisfied with your creative self-expressions, and want to hide your expressions from others until you feel the output is "right". This is largely due to a perceived inability to express or reveal your true personality to others. You struggle with a deep need to control yourself and life itself. You are especially sensitive to criticism, and feel the need to "redo" yourself often. There is a marked fear of losing control, and this might stem from some traumatic event in childhood, or the childhood might have been crisis-ridden or emotionally-charged in general. As such, you can be intensely fearful of, or threatened by, change. This can express itself through attempts to control your life in such a way that you can manage your fears of being taken off guard. Of course, this generally backfires! You have an intense need for privacy at times.

but that is not the thing that hurts me the most.

 While Sun in XI suggests the following: 

You are a humanitarian who aims to treat everyone as equals. You seek to be unique and original, and you do your best to avoid bias and prejudice. Social status is less important to you than belonging to a group of diverse personalities. [...]

and Conjunction Sun - Venus suggests: 

Venus is a peace-making, harmony-loving planet, and those with Sun conjunct Venus do their best to seek peace and harmony. You are diplomatic and a veritable expert at smoothing over (and sometimes glossing over) problems. You are openhanded with others, tolerant and accepting. [...]

my Square Moon - Jupiter says: 

She is sometimes indifferent to others, to those who surround her: she is, without thinking, negligent and indecisive. She may "feed" inner restlessness with excesses in gambling, shopping, or other comforts, and her honesty is sometimes a bit elastic. This aspect does not help professional success, especially as she tends to spend more than she earns. Sometimes enthusiastic and gung-ho, and other times indifferent, it can be challenging for others to understand her. Needs to find constructive avenues for her inner restlessness.

I am just a little confused by the contradiction, I guess. I really, really value peace and harmony but at the same time I feel like I am selfish, which would actually make sense if I look at the chart interpretations? Basically, I’m a walking contradiction aka hypocrite. Honestly, I hoped for some��“better” results, although a part of me knows that every person is unique and amazing in their own ways, I just don’t and refuse to see myself as such.

Sigh.

(source is http://astro.cafeastrology.com btw)

[ancientwheelastrology]

JANUARY ASTRO FORECAST 2017

JANUARY ASTRO FORECAST 2017 By  =Lorna Anne

(For students and practitioners of Astrology: I am using a new astrological system that I have originated called =Lorna's Ancient Wheel Astrology At https://wiselorna.wordpress.com/2016/02/29/1252. If you would like to know more about this system, please consult the above link at Wordpress.com. If you would like to try this system for yourself, please follow the link http://reach.vi/aw/AWv212.zip</A></B></SPAN>. I use the system as a predictive tool, so at the end of each month you can see how accurate it is.)

Trends:  It will be a transformational month concerning our relationships to others and to our realities. The liberating process which began last month will continue this month in making the new and different part of the relationship structure. Setting boundaries and limitations or the need to go with the flow may once again be a choice that needs to be made due to prominent Saturn and Neptune aspects from inner planets throughout the month. The ideal is to remove the block that limits trust, but it might be a challenge for some; if the trust is not there, then the realization of the need to move on may become apparent. Either that, or the need for vast restructuring of existing situations in order to provide a sense of ethics and security. Assertion/aggression is another relationship theme: how proactive are we in preventing being a victim or being in a hostage situation? Where have we let relationships slip away by taking them for granted? Opportunities for radical change are in the air, but what changes need to be made may be unclear or uncertain. Most likely you would know what needs to be done if you trusted in the unknown and the unexpected. It will make navigating the planetary aspects much easier; for behind the backdrop of change in action is the need to believe that the ideal can become the reality. It is not unbelievable or impossible, but you must stand by your visionary choices. Oppose unnecessary sacrifices or limitations, however change may require letting go of structures that are not conducive to growth.  (Note: if drive and energy are low, it will improve in Week 4 when Mars enters its own sign of Aries.) Week 3 is the most difficult when it comes to opposing limitations and lack of clarity. It is best to reserve making major changes (if not done in Weeks 1 and 2) until Week 4.

Week 1:  Challenges to evolve to higher states of consciousness and find one's emotional security within oneself rather than in others is prominent, especially when it comes to feeling safe with trusting the vision of your evolutionary process -- that it will lead to positive results. Mercury turns Stationary Direct on the 8th, so avoid buying big ticket items or signing contracts until after then.

Week 2:  Unexpected opportunities highlight this week as we can see that planting new seeds now will lead to positive growth in the future. It's a fine line between being too strict and setting acceptable boundaries. If we are too strict, rebellion could ensue, from others or within ourselves!

Week 3:  Aspects during this week will resolve themselves best by finding a happy medium between change and maintaining security. There is a middle ground which would improve your existence, so try to realize this course.

Week 4:  This is a powerful week in which we may be pleasantly surprised to see that the new changes put in place may yield some very positive results. Remember to embrace the process and have faith in positve outcomes!

Key Words:  Process, Relationships, Ideals

ARIES:  It's an active month for Aries, with the drive to overcome obstacles in your path, blaze new trails and have new experiences. Challenging choices may need to be made concerning letting go of what doesn't work, and wanting to put into place a whole new reality -- your ideal vision. Your ruling planet, Mars, will enter Aries in Week 4, so if you're feeling indecisive, wait until then to take action and strategize during the first three weeks. Opportunities for growth are promising in Week 2 and 4. Apply yourself to achieve goals and objectives. Week 3 may be particularly difficult. The Moon enters Aries two times this month:  on the 4th and 31st. Pivotal days are 4-8, 10-12, and 17-19.

TAURUS:  It's a spiritual and artistic month for Taurus. Your ruling planet, Venus, enters Pisces and you may feel like escaping into a dream world rather than coping with hard core reality. Indulge in the inclination as much as possible to avoid making yourself sick in order to take the needed break. Your transformational journey may cause you to change what you've tried to keep the same, and partnerships may pose oppositional views that may cause you to reassess your current perspective to decide whether it's really what you want in the deepest part of yourself. Bold, brash action is best reserved for Week 4. The Moon enters Taurus on the 6th, to help ground you in your evolutionary process.

GEMINI:  If you're feeling low in energy or depressed, it may be because something that needs to be said isn't. This month will help ground you in the world of thoughts; visions and dreams will give you ways to bring them into practical reality. Allow your goals the freedom to evolve and don't get stuck in outmoded ways of doing things. Seek new perspectives and new methods. You will most likely feel quite rejuvenated if you let go of what's holding you back, and move on, even if the concept is scary. Put new structures in place that will ensure you emotional and physical security. The Moon enter Gemini on the 8th, releasing new perspectives and insight as your ruling planet, Mercury, turns Stationary Direct.

CANCER:   You may feel that you are beginning a new cycle of power, stemming from learning to value yourself -- your needs and wants. You are also deepening an understanding of others, seeing where you must trust partnerships and not avoid being proactive and setting boundaries within them, even if it seems to challenge your caring nature toward others. Self effacement will not yield positive results. Fate may play its hand and cause you to shift your thinking concerning goals and plans you wanted to achieve. Accept your transformational process and see the benefit of a stronger, more independent you. The Moon enters Cancer on the 10th, to help ground you amidst the unexpected.

LEO:  Improving your health or changing routines to improve your well- being is in order. If there are health issues, they may be concerned with being overly sacrificial. Do not be a sacrificial lamb when you are a lion! Rejuvenate yourself by becoming proactive and share your feelings with others. Participating in a group endeavor will give a sense of fulfillment. Do not fear failure and do not hesitate to use your power wisely to help others. If your perception of something or someone appears vague or risky, communicate your concerns and do not accept things blindly. Responsibility toward relationships is important. When you make choices, think of the effect it will have on others. The Moon enters Leo on the 12th, to help ground you in your transformational process.

VIRGO:  Paying attention to communication and personal self expression are important this month. You are learning to use your creative power within the community. Personal adjustments, yielding transformational results will help you in your work performance. Come up with new and better ways to achieve your ambitions. Do not underestimate your creative abilities and don't be afraid to take a risk in order to actualize your goals. Share your creative, personal self with others. Avoid head games! The Moon enters Virgo on the 14th to help ground you in taking power.

LIBRA:  You are readying yourself for a new cycle to begin, requiring you to face the challenges of trust and faith in the unknown as well as in partnerships, deepening the bond and making choices that will have a bearing upon the direction the partnerships will take. You are in the process of expanding your scope of activities, possibly studying foreign cultures, or through travel. Wait to sign contracts until after the 8th, when Mercury turns Stationary Direct. You may be confronting formerly unconscious fears and neuroses, giving you a chance to clear the boards, so to speak, so your new cycle can evolve. The Moon enters Libra on the 17th, to help ground you in overcoming unnecessary limitations.

SCORPIO:  Your transformational process will be given the benefit of some lucky breaks and enlightened thinking as you face the challenges of making far-reaching choices concerning, probably, your living situation and home environment. This may be challenging as well to partnerships with which you are involved and the role they play in your life. It could even be a choice of holding on or letting go of certain relationships themselves. It is best to wait until Week 2 to make these choices, after Mercury turns Direct on the 8th and challenges from possible conflicts in Week 1 subside. Getting the ego out of the way and focusing on the best, most beneficial solution for all is the way to go. Do not strive to be normal this month. If anything, strive to be different and allow yourself the joy of unbridled creativity within your life. The Moon enters Scorpio on the 19th, to give you strength during your transitional process.

SAGITTARIUS:  Well, Sag, by now this year's goals and ambitions should be shaping up nicely with possible foreign travel or study on the horizon. Whatever happens, have faith in the new and different, since your ruling planet, Jupiter, is still in waning aspect to liberating Uranus; so, whatever is happening in your life, it's sure to evolve you to higher states of consciousness concerning yourself and relationships. It could be a valuable time if you pay attention and recognize any motivations stemming from unconscious fears or neuroses, overcoming their negative influence. Remember to keep in place what you value as important. Make sure you understand both sides of a disagreement before deciding which side to favor. Best case scenario, find the common ground and start there. Make choices after the 8th when Mercury turns Direct. Embrace the evolutionary process of which you are a part. The Moon enters Sagittarius on the 22nd, to help ground you in your decision making process.

CAPRICORN:  You may be in a sorting out process in this your birthday month, deciding what's important to keep in your life and what no longer works with the new image of yourself. The focus is on you and change --  both within the deepest part of yourself and within your home environment. The desire, most likely, is to blend and follow, bur the key for the sure-footed sea goat, may be to maintain your individuality and honor your feelings and your emotional security. Trying to minimize and cut back may not be easy, since you may have trouble reconciling your wants and your needs. Remember, you are in a process, and the end result will be liberating. It's a month filled with a lot of change, some intended, some not. Hold off making long-range moves until after the dust settles at the end of the month.

AQUARIUS:  Most likely you may still be dazzled by life and its many surprises, as Destiny brings you a new vision and perception of your growth process. It's about self-restoration and rebirth. The end result:  the ability to use your power wisely at work and in your community. Trust your intuition and the psychic hits you get. Lately, they should be more prevalent; but be wary if they come from fear, for that is not awareness or higher states of consciousness. Fear is a challenge that must be overcome, especially in terms of your personal creative potential and emotional self-expression. Support your vision and figure out creative avenues toward achieving success. The tried and true may be blocking you from the better, the new and different. Discipline yourself to improve your health if you have been lax. The Moon enters Aquarius on the 2nd and again on the 27th. Pivotal days: 8-9, 12-16.

PISCES:  Most of this month you should be feeling like taking the proverbial tiger by the tail, but others may seem to be attempting to limit your use of power. Mars will be in your sign all month, conferring stronger than usual feelings toward assertion/aggression. Yet the deepest part of yourself may fear using power. Just remember to use it wisely, not rashly. Pay attention to other's perspectives. Try to find a harmonious balance by understanding on a deep, internal level what is really going on, and then transform situations to create the best possible reality for everyone. Remember that change starts from within, and it will affect the world around you. There is your power. The Moon enters Pisces twice this month: on the 2nd and 29th. Pivotal days:  19-26.

                                                    ##

[cancersfakianakis1]

Some chemotherapeutics-treated colon cancer cells display a specific phenotype being a combination of stem-like and senescent cell features.

Some chemotherapeutics-treated colon cancer cells display a specific phenotype being a combination of stem-like and senescent cell features.

Cancer Biol Ther. 2017 Oct 20;:0

Authors: Was H, Czarnecka J, Kowalczyk A, Barszcz K, Bernas T, Piwocka K, Kaminska B

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of death among cancer patients in the Northern countries. CRC can reappear a long time after treatment. Recent clinical studies demonstrated that, in response to chemotherapy, cancer cells may undergo stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS), which typically results in growth arrest. Nonetheless, these senescent cells were reported to divide in an atypical manner and thus contribute to cancer re-growth. Therefore, we examined if SIPS escape may follow treatment with chemotherapeutics used clinically: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), oxaliplatin (OXA) and irinotecan (IRINO). To mimic the therapeutic regimes we exposed human colon cancer HCT116 and SW480 cells to repeated cycles of drug treatment. The cells treated with 5-FU or IRINO exhibited several hallmarks of SIPS: growth arrest, increased size and granularity, polyploidization, augmented activity of the SA-β-galactosidase, accumulation of P21 and CYCLIN D1 proteins, and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Moreover, re-population of the cancer cell cultures was delayed upon treatment with the senescence-inducing agents. At the same time, we detected a subpopulation of senescent colon cancer cells with features of stemness: elevated NANOG expression, exclusion of Hoechst 33342 (typical for side population) and increased CD24 expression. Additionally, rare, polyploid cells exhibited blastocyst-like morphology and produced progeny. In parallel, majority of chemotherapeutics-treated cells underwent mesenchymal to epithelial transition, as the percentage of CD44-positve cells was reduced, and levels of E-cadherin (epithelial marker) were elevated. Our study demonstrates that a subpopulation of chemotherapeutics-treated colon cancer cells display a specific phenotype being a combination of stem-like and senescent cell features. This may contribute to their resistance to chemotherapy and their ability to re-grow cancer after completion of therapeutic intervention.

PMID: 29053388 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://ift.tt/2xVaBpK

[cancersfakianakis1]

Some chemotherapeutics-treated colon cancer cells display a specific phenotype being a combination of stem-like and senescent cell features.

Some chemotherapeutics-treated colon cancer cells display a specific phenotype being a combination of stem-like and senescent cell features.

Cancer Biol Ther. 2017 Oct 20;:0

Authors: Was H, Czarnecka J, Kowalczyk A, Barszcz K, Bernas T, Piwocka K, Kaminska B

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of death among cancer patients in the Northern countries. CRC can reappear a long time after treatment. Recent clinical studies demonstrated that, in response to chemotherapy, cancer cells may undergo stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS), which typically results in growth arrest. Nonetheless, these senescent cells were reported to divide in an atypical manner and thus contribute to cancer re-growth. Therefore, we examined if SIPS escape may follow treatment with chemotherapeutics used clinically: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), oxaliplatin (OXA) and irinotecan (IRINO). To mimic the therapeutic regimes we exposed human colon cancer HCT116 and SW480 cells to repeated cycles of drug treatment. The cells treated with 5-FU or IRINO exhibited several hallmarks of SIPS: growth arrest, increased size and granularity, polyploidization, augmented activity of the SA-β-galactosidase, accumulation of P21 and CYCLIN D1 proteins, and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Moreover, re-population of the cancer cell cultures was delayed upon treatment with the senescence-inducing agents. At the same time, we detected a subpopulation of senescent colon cancer cells with features of stemness: elevated NANOG expression, exclusion of Hoechst 33342 (typical for side population) and increased CD24 expression. Additionally, rare, polyploid cells exhibited blastocyst-like morphology and produced progeny. In parallel, majority of chemotherapeutics-treated cells underwent mesenchymal to epithelial transition, as the percentage of CD44-positve cells was reduced, and levels of E-cadherin (epithelial marker) were elevated. Our study demonstrates that a subpopulation of chemotherapeutics-treated colon cancer cells display a specific phenotype being a combination of stem-like and senescent cell features. This may contribute to their resistance to chemotherapy and their ability to re-grow cancer after completion of therapeutic intervention.

PMID: 29053388 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://ift.tt/2xVaBpK