Effect of Visual Input on Vowel Production in English Speakers

This study analyzes whether there should be a visual component to a model of speech perception and production by comparing the jaw opening, advancement, and rounding of American English and non-English vowels in the presence and absence of a visual stimulus. Surprisingly, jaw opening did not change production, but the presence of the visual stimulus was found to be a significant factor in participants’ vowel advancement for non-English vowels. This may be explained by lip rounding, but requires further research in order to develop a full understanding of the impact of visual input on vowel production to be used in teaching and learning languages

Zoning for Conservation Easements

Richardson and Bernard talk about zoning for conservation easements. Most conservation easements are perpetual and may have a huge impact on the land use in a community. With few exceptions, however, conservation easements have not been incorporated in any meaningful way into local land-use planning

Postpartum Opioid Use Following Vaginal Deliveries with No or Minor Obstetric Perineal Lacerations

Background: Recommendations for management of pain following vaginal delivery are not specific and do not differentiate patients based on the degree of perineal trauma. Our objective is to describe patterns of postpartum opioid use in women with no or minor perineal trauma. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study describing the characteristics of opioid analgesia usage among women with no or minor perineal lacerations at the time of vaginal delivery in a university affiliated regional hospital. Results: For the 6-month study period, 433 patients were eligible for inclusion. Of these, 423 (97.69%) were ordered as needed narcotics during their post-partum hospitalization. Of women with an as needed narcotic prescribed, 285 (65.82%) used at least one dose of narcotics while hospitalized. Significant patient characteristics of women using opioids during their inpatient post-partum course included those who used epidural analgesia during labor (p=0.009) and primiparous patients (p=0.05). Thirty-five of the women included in the study received a prescription for opioid analgesics at the time of discharge (8.08%). Significant findings among these women include increasing maternal age (p=0.007). Non-academic physicians with resident coverage were 3.1 times more likely to prescribe opioids at discharge compared to academic physicians with residents and non-academic physicians without resident coverage. Conclusions: Focusing specifically on women with no or minor perineal lacerations at the time of delivery, our findings indicate that if given the option of opioids analgesia during their hospitalization, many women will request at least one dose of opioid analgesia, but rarely require opioids after discharge

Nutrient Enrichment and Food Web Composition Affect Ecosystem Metabolism in an Experimental Seagrass Habitat

Food web composition and resource levels can influence ecosystem properties such as productivity and elemental cycles. In particular, herbivores occupy a central place in food webs as the species richness and composition of this trophic level may simultaneously influence the transmission of resource and predator effects to higher and lower trophic levels, respectively. Yet, these interactions are poorly understood

Paclitaxel-Induced Apoptosis Is BAK-Dependent, but BAX and BIM-Independent in Breast Tumor

Paclitaxel (Taxol)-induced cell death requires the intrinsic cell death pathway, but the specific participants and the precise mechanisms are poorly understood. Previous studies indicate that a BH3-only protein BIM (BCL-2 Interacting Mediator of cell death) plays a role in paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. We show here that BIM is dispensable in apoptosis with paclitaxel treatment using bim−/− MEFs (mouse embryonic fibroblasts), the bim−/− mouse breast tumor model, and shRNA-mediated down-regulation of BIM in human breast cancer cells. In contrast, both bak−/− MEFs and human breast cancer cells in which BAK was down-regulated by shRNA were more resistant to paclitaxel. However, paclitaxel sensitivity was not affected in bax−/−MEFs or in human breast cancer cells in which BAX was down-regulated, suggesting that paclitaxel-induced apoptosis is BAK-dependent, but BAX-independent. In human breast cancer cells, paclitaxel treatment resulted in MCL-1 degradation which was prevented by a proteasome inhibitor, MG132. A Cdk inhibitor, roscovitine, blocked paclitaxel-induced MCL-1 degradation and apoptosis, suggesting that Cdk activation at mitotic arrest could induce subsequent MCL-1 degradation in a proteasome-dependent manner. BAK was associated with MCL-1 in untreated cells and became activated in concert with loss of MCL-1 expression and its release from the complex. Our data suggest that BAK is the mediator of paclitaxel-induced apoptosis and could be an alternative target for overcoming paclitaxel resistance

Henoch Schonlein Purpura – A 5-Year Review and Proposed Pathway

Henoch Schonlein Purpura (HSP) is the commonest systemic vasculitis of childhood typically presenting with a palpable purpuric rash and frequently involving the renal system. We are the first group to clinically assess, critically analyse and subsequently revise a nurse led monitoring pathway for this condition

Correlates of current menthol cigarette and flavored other tobacco product use among U.S. young adults

Flavored and menthol tobacco products are particularly appealing to young adults. However, little is known about factors associated with their use in this population

Correlates of current menthol cigarette and flavored other tobacco product use among U.S. young adults

Flavored and menthol tobacco products are particularly appealing to young adults. However, little is known about factors associated with their use in this population