Fundamentally Different Stories That Matter: True Crime Podcasts and the Domestic Violence Survivors in Their Audiences

This audience reception study qualitatively examines women who identify as both domestic violence survivors and fans of true crime podcasts. Using a feminist, critical cultural lens, this study explores why these women are drawn to these podcasts and how the content presented intersects with their lived experiences as domestic violence survivors. Employing a multi-method approach, I interviewed 16 women who listen to true crime podcasts and identify as domestic violence survivors as well as six hosts/producers of true crime podcast media and conducted an in-depth narrative analysis on one of the most popular podcasts mentioned by my participants. Sixteen in-depth qualitative interviews with audience members reveal six major themes: love of a good story, uniqueness of audio media, the educational value of true crime podcasts, connection to lived experiences, the potential therapeutic role of true crime narratives, and the community connections forged by listening to true crime podcasts. Ultimately, I found that the female domestic violence survivors in true crime podcast audiences are using this emerging media in unprecedented ways and challenging the patriarchal nature of the criminal justice system and media’s traditional coverage of domestic violence. My participants demonstrated that they have formed a collective identity and a virtual community where their voices are heard, their stories are normalized, and that they are collaborating with true crime podcasters to process their own trauma and educate others about the reality of their lived experiences

Gender differences in the incidence and prevalence of patellofemoral pain syndrome: Epidemiology of patellofemoral pain

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the association between gender and the prevalence and incidence of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). One thousand five hundred and twenty-five participants from the United States Naval Academy (USNA) were followed for up to 2.5 years for the development of PFPS. Physicians and certified athletic trainers documented the cases of PFPS. PFPS was defined as retropatellar pain during at least two of the following activities: ascending/descending stairs, hopping/jogging, prolonged sitting, kneeling, and squatting, negative findings on examination of knee ligament, menisci, bursa, and synovial plica, and pain on palpation of either the patellar facets or femoral condyles. Poisson and logistic regressions were performed to determine the association between gender and the incidence and prevalence of PFPS, respectively. The incidence rate for PFPS was 22/1000 person-years. Females were 2.23 times (95% CI: 1.19, 4.20) more likely to develop PFPS compared with males. While not statistically significant, the prevalence of PFPS at study enrollment tended to be higher in females (15%) than in males (12%) (P50.09). Females at the USNA are significantly more likely to develop PFPS than males. Additionally, at the time of admission to the academy, the prevalence of PFPS was not significantly different between genders

The D&D of the Experimental Boiling Water Reactor (EBWR)

Argonne National Laboratory has completed the D&D of the Experimental Boiling Water Reactor. The Project consisted of decontaminating and for packaging as radioactive waste the reactor vessel and internals, contaminated piping systems, miscellaneous tanks, pumps, and associated equipment. The D&D work involved dismantling process equipment and associated plumbing, ductwork drain lines, etc., performing size reduction of reactor vessel internals in the fuel pool, packaging and manifesting all radioactive and mixed waste, and performing a thorough survey of the facility after the removal of activated and contaminated material. Non-radioactive waste was disposed of in the ANL-E landfill or recycled. In January 1996 the EBWR facility was formally decommissioned and transferred from EM-40 to EM-30. This paper will discuss the details of this ten year effort

Uprooting (Our) Whiteness

Social work education reinforces hegemonic Whiteness through pedagogies and practices that rely on an entitlement to and harvesting of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color’s lived experiences for the purpose of its tacit audience: White students. Despite this exploitative and harmful reliance on objectified lived experiences, White students continue to lack critical understanding of their racial positionality and connections to racism. Uprooting Whiteness requires sitting with what it means for White people to be “a White problem.” Drawing on the work of Yancy, we (group co-facilitators; our dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and three MSW student participants) describe the creation, organization, facilitation, and experiences of the first year of the Space for Uprooting Whiteness—a biweekly space where White social work students examine and uproot their relationship to White supremacy and domination. We argue for White social workers to take collective responsibility for racism in and beyond our institutions—requiring interrogation of our everyday practices and their (inter)dependence with and on systems of domination. This paper ends with three experiential narratives from student participants in the space and implications of critical intragroup dialogic pedagogy among White students in social work education and beyond

Fas signaling induces raft coalescence that is blocked by cholesterol depletion in human RPE cells undergoing apoptosis

PURPOSE. To investigate whether the signaling events occurring in Fas-mediated apoptosis alter raft membrane formation in human RPE cells. METHODS. Formation of lipid rafts in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19) was studied by confocal microscopy, with fluorescein-labeled cholera toxin subunit B binding protein (BODIPY)-labeled ganglioside GM1 lipid after Fas-L induction of apoptosis. Apoptosis was assessed by fluorescein-labeled annexin V detection of phosphatidylserine externalization and quadrant analysis with flow cytometry. Membrane rafts were localized into membrane vesicles by passing BODIPY-labeled GM1 RPE cells through a 2-m-pore polycarbonate membrane using an extruder device. The labeled fractions, containing vesicles enriched in GM1, were detected by flow cytometry and then analyzed for the presence of Fas protein. RESULTS. Differential punctate staining of membrane rafts was demonstrated in normal and FasL-induced apoptotic human ARPE-19 cells in culture by confocal microscopy, using cholera toxin B and GM1 labeling of extruded vesicles. The lipid raftassociated vesicles were derived by plasma membrane dissociation, via a newly developed whole-cell extrusion technique that produced 2-m vesicles with both GM1 lipid and Fas protein abundance enriched in a subpopulation of the membrane-derived vesicles. The amount of Fas protein in the vesicles containing raft domains markedly increased in FasL-treated cells. Treatment of human ARPE 19 cells with methyl ␤-cyclodextrin after FasL induction of apoptosis resulted in cellular cholesterol depletion and markedly reduced the incidence of Fas-receptor localization in GM1 rafts. CONCLUSIONS. Human ARPE-19 cells in culture contain membrane rafts with apoptotic signaling effectors uniformly distributed in the native state. The cells stimulated to undergo apoptosis appear to use membrane rafts in the death-signaling process by mobilization of rafts to localized regions of the membrane that are now enriched with apoptotic signaling effectors. Fas signaling induces apoptotic raft formation that results in polar condensation, or capping, of the rafts in the late stages of apoptosis. A novel extrusion technique is described that allows localization and enrichment of rafts into membrane vesicles, which can be assayed by flow cytometry. Cholesterol depletion, after Fas ligand activation of apoptosis, reduced raft formation in cells induced to undergo apoptosis. Therapeutic implications for the treatment of retinal disorders are discussed. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci

Mirror gait retraining for the treatment of patellofemoral pain in female runners.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal hip mechanics are often implicated in female runners with patellofemoral pain. We sought to evaluate a simple gait retraining technique, using a full-length mirror, in female runners with patellofemoral pain and abnormal hip mechanics. Transfer of the new motor skill to the untrained tasks of single leg squat and step descent was also evaluated. METHODS: Ten female runners with patellofemoral pain completed 8 sessions of mirror and verbal feedback on their lower extremity alignment during treadmill running. During the last 4 sessions, mirror and verbal feedback were progressively removed. Hip mechanics were assessed during running gait, a single leg squat and a step descent, both pre- and post-retraining. Subjects returned to their normal running routines and analyses were repeated at 1-month and 3-month post-retraining. Data were analyzed via repeated measures analysis of variance. FINDINGS: Subjects reduced peaks of hip adduction, contralateral pelvic drop, and hip abduction moment during running (P<0.05, effect size=0.69-2.91). Skill transfer to single leg squatting and step descent was noted (P<0.05, effect size=0.91-1.35). At 1 and 3 months post retraining, most mechanics were maintained in the absence of continued feedback. Subjects reported improvements in pain and function (P<0.05, effect size=3.81-7.61) and maintained through 3 months post retraining. INTERPRETATION: Mirror gait retraining was effective in improving mechanics and measures of pain and function. Skill transfer to the untrained tasks of squatting and step descent indicated that a higher level of motor learning had occurred. Extended follow-up is needed to determine the long term efficacy of this treatment

Functional assays to determine the significance of two common XPC 3'UTR variants found in bladder cancer patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>XPC </it>is involved in the nucleotide excision repair of DNA damaged by carcinogens known to cause bladder cancer. Individuals homozygous for the variant allele of <it>XPC </it>c.1496C > T (p.Ala499Val) were shown in a large pooled analysis to have an increased bladder cancer risk, and we found two 3'UTR variants, *611T > A and c.*618A > G, to be in strong linkage disequilibrium with c.1496T. Here we determined if these two 3'UTR variants can affect mRNA stability and assessed the impact of all three variants on mRNA and protein expression.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>In vitro </it>mRNA stability assays were performed and mRNA and protein expression measured both in plasmid-based assays and in lymphocytes and lymphoblastoid cell lines from bladder and breast cancer patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The two 3'UTR variants were associated with reduced protein and mRNA expression in plasmid-based assays, suggesting an effect on mRNA stability and/or transcription/translation. A near-significant reduction in XPC protein expression (p = 0.058) was detected in lymphoblastoid cell lines homozygous for these alleles but no differences in mRNA stability in these lines was found or in mRNA or protein levels in lymphocytes heterozygous for these alleles.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The two 3'UTR variants may be the variants underlying the association of c.1496C > T and bladder cancer risk acting via a mechanism modulating protein expression.</p

How effective are programs at managing transition from hospital to home? A case study of the Australian transition care program

Extent: 5p.Background: An increasing demand for acute care services due in part to rising proportions of older people and increasing rates of chronic diseases has led to new models of post-acute care for older people that offer coordinated discharge, ongoing support and often a focus on functional restoration. Overall, review of the literature suggests there is considerable uncertainty around the effectiveness and resource implications of the various model configurations and delivery approaches. In this paper, we review the current evidence on the efficacy of such programs, using the Australian Transition Care Program as a case study. Discussion: The Australian Transition Care Program was established at the interface of the acute and aged care sectors with particular emphasis on transitions between acute and community care. The program is intended to enable a significant proportion of care recipients to return home, rather than prematurely enter residential aged care, optimize their functional capacity, and reduce inappropriate extended lengths of hospital stay for older people. Broadly, the model is configured and targeted in accordance with programs reported in the international literature to be effective. Early evaluations suggest good acceptance of the program by hospitals, patients and staff. Ultimately, however, the program's place in the array of post-acute services should be determined by its demonstrated efficacy relative to other services which cater for similar patient groups. Summary: Currently there is a lack of robust evaluation to provide convincing evidence of efficacy, either from a patient outcome or cost reduction perspective. As the program expands and matures, there will be opportunity to scrutinise the systematic effects, with lessons for both Australian and international policy makers and clinical leaders.Leonard C Gray, Nancye M Peel, Maria Crotty, Susan E Kurrle, Lynne C Giles, and Ian D Camero