Umbilical Coiling Index as a Marker of Perinatal Outcome: An Analytical Study

Objectives. To measure umbilical coiling index (UCI) postnatally and to study the association of normocoiling, hypocoiling and hypercoiling to maternal and perinatal outcome. Method(s). One thousand antenatal women who went into labour were studied and umbilical coiling index calculated at the time of delivery. UCI was determined by dividing the total number of coils by the total umbilical cord length in centimeters. Its association with various maternal and perinatal risk factors were noted. The statistical tests were the Chi-square test and assessed with SPSS version 13.0 software and statistically analyzed. P value of less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results. The mean umbilical coiling index was found to be 0.24 ± 0.09. Hypocoiling (<0.12) was found to be significantly associated with hypertensive disorders, abruptio placentae, preterm labour, oligohydramnios, and fetal heart rate abnormalities. Hypercoiling (>0.36) was found to be associated with diabetes mellitus, polyhydramnios, cesarean delivery, congenital anomalies, and respiratory distress of the newborn. Conclusion. Abnormal umbilical coiling index is associated with several antenatal and perinatal adverse features

Isolation and Support Dynamics Among Concurrent Victims of Sex Trafficking

The present study analyzed wiretap data to determine the characteristics of social support among concurrent victims of sex trafficking. Using a grounded theory approach to determine prevalent elements and themes that characterize interactions, conversations between women and conversations between pimps and women that involve concurrent victims as a topic of conversation were examined. A coding scheme was created based on the derived elements, and network patterns were analyzed. Finally, temporal patterns of conflict were examined to determine whether periods of heightened threat were used to punctuate periods of seeming calm, similar to that seen in research on coercive control and intimate partner violence (Dutton & Goodman, 2005). Findings suggested that the pimp used coercive control to maintain victim compliance, and as a result, victims were isolated from the outside world. While at the surface the women appeared to have each other as their primary social network, analysis revealed that the women monitored and regulated each other in order to enforce the pimp’s rules and gain status with him, which contributed to feelings of competition, distrust, and jealousy. This is consistent with other studies that have noted such discord among victims (Morselli & Savoie-Gargiso, 2014; Reid & Piquero, 2014), which increases trust towards the pimp (Reid, 2016). The current research has implications for understanding the complex and subtle nature of coercive control and the power pimps exercise over their victims

“I’m the greatest”: Pride, Impression Management, and Denial of Coercive Control And Physical Abuse by Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence

Coercive control and physical abuse are two prominent forms of intimate partner violence (IPV), often accompanied by with impression management to conceal such behavior. However, intrinsic motives for engaging in impression management by male IPV offenders are not well-known. The present study makes use of archival data from 85 heterosexual men in a batterer treatment program to gauge how pride, shame, and guilt may relate to impression management and reported IPV. Admission to shame and guilt appear to be correlated with and predictive of both forms of reported abuse, along with the absence of impression management. This implies that internalized shame and guilt motivate abusers to report IPV in their relationships. Secondary findings included a positive correlation between higher education and reported coercive control, and lower age or African-American ethnicity positively correlating with reported physical abuse. Implications of these findings are explored

The Association Between Stalking and Violence in a Sample of Spanish Partner Violence Cases

The present descriptive study analyzes stalking in a sample of 278 Spanish court cases involving partner violence and contrasts the benefits of the new bill article 172ter, which criminalizes stalking, compared with the Organic Law 1/2004 on partner violence. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of the total sample included stalking behaviors, which manifested in intimidatory (60%) and controlling (45%) unwanted verbal communications (62%) and physical approaches (42%) that ended violently in a third of the cases (35%). Cases involving violent stalking, non-violent stalking, and physical violence without stalking were compared. A closer look at violent stalking cases uncovered that intimacy-seeking stalking behavior was concurrent with face-to-face aggression with a sharp object, whereas pursuit/control and invasive behavior were associated with property invasion and damage. Data not only support the contention that stalking should be criminalized regardless of the type of stalking behavior but also indicate that differences in the behavior might warrant different management interventions

The Association Between Stalking and Violence in a Sample of Spanish Partner Violence Cases

The present descriptive study analyzes stalking in a sample of 278 Spanish court cases involving partner violence and contrasts the benefits of the new bill article 172ter, which criminalizes stalking, compared with the Organic Law 1/2004 on partner violence. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of the total sample included stalking behaviors, which manifested in intimidatory (60%) and controlling (45%) unwanted verbal communications (62%) and physical approaches (42%) that ended violently in a third of the cases (35%). Cases involving violent stalking, non-violent stalking, and physical violence without stalking were compared. A closer look at violent stalking cases uncovered that intimacy-seeking stalking behavior was concurrent with face-to-face aggression with a sharp object, whereas pursuit/control and invasive behavior were associated with property invasion and damage. Data not only support the contention that stalking should be criminalized regardless of the type of stalking behavior but also indicate that differences in the behavior might warrant different management interventions

Recent emergence of the wheat Lr34 multi-pathogen resistance: insights from haplotype analysis in wheat, rice, sorghum and Aegilops tauschii

Spontaneous sequence changes and the selection of beneficial mutations are driving forces of gene diversification and key factors of evolution. In highly dynamic co-evolutionary processes such as plant-pathogen interactions, the plant's ability to rapidly adapt to newly emerging pathogens is paramount. The hexaploid wheat gene Lr34, which encodes an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, confers durable field resistance against four fungal diseases. Despite its extensive use in breeding and agriculture, no increase in virulence towards Lr34 has been described over the last century. The wheat genepool contains two predominant Lr34 alleles of which only one confers disease resistance. The two alleles, located on chromosome 7DS, differ by only two exon-polymorphisms. Putatively functional homoeologs and orthologs of Lr34 are found on the B-genome of wheat and in rice and sorghum, but not in maize, barley and Brachypodium. In this study we present a detailed haplotype analysis of homoeologous and orthologous Lr34 genes in genetically and geographically diverse selections of wheat, rice and sorghum accessions. We found that the resistant Lr34 haplotype is unique to the wheat D-genome and is not found in the B-genome of wheat or in rice and sorghum. Furthermore, we only found the susceptible Lr34 allele in a set of 252 Ae. tauschii genotypes, the progenitor of the wheat D-genome. These data provide compelling evidence that the Lr34 multi-pathogen resistance is the result of recent gene diversification occurring after the formation of hexaploid wheat about 8,000years ag

Enhancing the Assessment of Coercive Control in Spanish Femicide Cases: A Nationally Representative Qualitative Analysis

Purpose Coercive control is a power dynamic central to intimate partner violence (IPV) and consists of tactics to limit one’s partner’s autonomy through constraint, regulation of everyday life, isolation, pursuit, and intimidation and physical force. Such tactics may potentially signal a risk for future lethal or near lethal violence; hence, proper evaluation may enhance the utility of clinical femicide risk assessments. The goal of this study is to explore coercive control behaviors preceding partner femicides in Spain with the intention to provide guidance for its assessment by first responders and law enforcement. Methods Researchers from the Department of State for Security of the Ministry of Interior collected a nationally representative sample of 150 femicides (2006–2016). Qualitative data included 958 semi-structured interviews with victims and offenders’ social networks, which provided information about relationship dynamics leading up to the murders. Additionally, 225 interviews with law enforcement and occasionally offenders were used to corroborate and contextualize victim and offender social networks. Results Qualitative analysis indicated four indicators of coercive control (i.e., microregulation and restriction, victim isolation, surveillance and pursuit, and physical violence), which were present in 85% of the cases. While these indicators were commonly present, their manifestation varied based on relationship history and victims’ responses. Conclusion The findings suggest that incorporating coercive control indicia into clinical femicide risk assessments is useful and may enhance their accuracy

Enhancing the Assessment of Coercive Control in Spanish Femicide Cases: A Nationally Representative Qualitative Analysis

Purpose Coercive control is a power dynamic central to intimate partner violence (IPV) and consists of tactics to limit one’s partner’s autonomy through constraint, regulation of everyday life, isolation, pursuit, and intimidation and physical force. Such tactics may potentially signal a risk for future lethal or near lethal violence; hence, proper evaluation may enhance the utility of clinical femicide risk assessments. The goal of this study is to explore coercive control behaviors preceding partner femicides in Spain with the intention to provide guidance for its assessment by first responders and law enforcement. Methods Researchers from the Department of State for Security of the Ministry of Interior collected a nationally representative sample of 150 femicides (2006–2016). Qualitative data included 958 semi-structured interviews with victims and offenders’ social networks, which provided information about relationship dynamics leading up to the murders. Additionally, 225 interviews with law enforcement and occasionally offenders were used to corroborate and contextualize victim and offender social networks. Results Qualitative analysis indicated four indicators of coercive control (i.e., microregulation and restriction, victim isolation, surveillance and pursuit, and physical violence), which were present in 85% of the cases. While these indicators were commonly present, their manifestation varied based on relationship history and victims’ responses. Conclusion The findings suggest that incorporating coercive control indicia into clinical femicide risk assessments is useful and may enhance their accuracy.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature.2022-2

Genome-Wide Association Mapping in a Rice MAGIC Plus Population Detects QTLs and Genes Useful for Biofortification

The development of rice genotypes with micronutrient-dense grains and disease resistance is one of the major priorities in rice improvement programs. We conducted Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using a Multi-parent Advanced Generation Inter-Cross (MAGIC) Plus population to identify QTLs and SNP markers that could potentially be integrated in biofortification and disease resistance breeding. We evaluated 144 MAGIC Plus lines for agronomic and biofortification traits over two locations for two seasons, while disease resistance was screened for one season in the screen house. X-ray fluorescence technology was used to measure grain Fe and Zn concentrations. Genotyping was carried out by genotype by sequencing and a total of 14,242 SNP markers were used in the association analysis. We used Mixed linear model (MLM) with kinship and detected 57 significant genomic regions with a -log10 (P-value) ≥ 3.0. The PH1.1 and Zn7.1 were consistently identified in all the four environments, ten QTLs qDF3.1, qDF6.2qDF9.1qPH5.1qGL3.1, qGW3.1, qGW11.1, and qZn6.2 were detected in two environments, while two major loci qBLB11.1 and qBLB5.1 were identified for Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) resistance. The associated SNP markers were found to co-locate with known major genes and QTLs such as OsMADS50 for days to flowering, osGA20ox2 for plant height, and GS3 for grain length. Similarly, Xa4 and xa5 genes were identified for BLB resistance and Pi5(t), Pi28(t), and Pi30(t) genes were identified for Blast resistance. A number of metal homeostasis genes OsMTP6, OsNAS3, OsMT2D, OsVIT1, and OsNRAMP7 were co-located with QTLs for Fe and Zn. The marker-trait relationships from Bayesian network analysis showed consistency with the results of GWAS. A number of promising candidate genes reported in our study can be further validated. We identified several QTLs/genes pyramided lines with high grain Zn and acceptable yield potential, which are a good resource for further evaluation to release as varieties as well as for use in breeding programs