Poloxomer 188 Has a Deleterious Effect on Dystrophic Skeletal Muscle Function

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked, fatal muscle wasting disease for which there is currently no cure and limited palliative treatments. Poloxomer 188 (P188) is a tri-block copolymer that has been proposed as a potential treatment for cardiomyopathy in DMD patients. Despite the reported beneficial effects of P188 on dystrophic cardiac muscle function, the effects of P188 on dystrophic skeletal muscle function are relatively unknown. Mdx mice were injected intraperitoneally with 460 mg/kg or 30 mg/kg P188 dissolved in saline, or saline alone (control). The effect of single-dose and 2-week daily treatment was assessed using a muscle function test on the Tibialis Anterior (TA) muscle in situ in anaesthetised mice. The test comprises a warm up, measurement of the force-frequency relationship and a series of eccentric contractions with a 10% stretch that have previously been shown to cause a drop in maximum force in mdx mice. After 2 weeks of P188 treatment at either 30 or 460 mg/kg/day the drop in maximum force produced following eccentric contractions was significantly greater than that seen in saline treated control mice (P = 0.0001). Two week P188 treatment at either dose did not significantly change the force-frequency relationship or maximum isometric specific force produced by the TA muscle. In conclusion P188 treatment increases susceptibility to contraction-induced injury following eccentric contractions in dystrophic skeletal muscle and hence its suitability as a potential therapeutic for DMD should be reconsidered

I-131 Dose Response for Incident Thyroid Cancers in Ukraine Related to the Chornobyl Accident

Background: Current knowledge about Chornobyl-related thyroid cancer risks comes from ecological studies based on grouped doses, case–control studies, and studies of prevalent cancers

Conversions of conviction: A study on the process of becoming a Reform Jew

This qualitative dissertation investigates the process of becoming a Jew within Reform Judaism. More specifically, it explores the extended process of converting to a new religion and adopting a new culture. These new Jews argue that becoming a Jew is not a life-altering experience, instead, they define their new Jewish identity as an extension of their old self. Thus, these new Jews claim that the process of converting to Reform Judaism centers more on learning what it means to be a Jew, think like a Jew, and act like a Jew than changing a set of religious beliefs. A main struggle in this process for many of these new Jews is maintaining ties to their old family while forging new ties to their Jewish family. However, since many born Jews believe that lived experience is required to fully understand the experience of being a Jew, many born Jews question the motives behind conversion. Thus, this dissertation examines how the new Jews understand, define, and defend their decisions to become a Reform Jew. I conducted twenty observations of an Introduction to Judaism class and interviewed twenty-two students and three teachers. I found that their background as cultural Christians shapes their feelings on Jewish political issues and cultural holidays. Conversion is a process and they have only begun to think like a Jew. I also noticed a difference among the generations. Unlike the older new Jews who are not becoming part of a Jewish family, the Jewish identity of the young new Jews is more tied to the concept of family than religion. Nonetheless, the new Jews argue that their conversion is a conversion of conviction, the conviction centering on maintaining a Jewish home