International Sojourning in the U.S.: Perceptions from Children of a Visiting Scholar

The experiences of visiting university faculty have been documented in the literature, yet, there appears to be a dearth of studies concerning the impact of sojourning abroad on children of visiting scholars who join a parent for an extended visit to a host country. This article will present a case study that qualitatively examined the perceptions, expectations and reflections of two young Koreans who accompanied their father during his 10-month sabbatical at a large, public university in the South East United States. Specifically, data collected by the researchers through a series of interviews investigated socio-cultural and situational experiences and challenges reported by the participants who were living in a host country. The results of this study suggest that in order to have a successful international sojourn experience, prior to their departure, both visiting scholars and their accompanying family members should have a certain level of cultural competence and linguistic proficiency of the language of the host country, and be open to new life experiences and challenges that they will encounter abroad

Meconium in the Amniotic Fluid of Pregnancies Complicated by Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes Is Associated With Early Onset Neonatal Sepsis

Objective: This study was to determine the significance of meconium in the amniotic fluid of pregnancies complicated by preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) without labor

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present in cigarette smoke cause endothelial cell apoptosis by a phospholipase A2dependent mechanism

Smoking is a major risk factor for endothelial cell injury and subsequent coronary artery disease. Epidemiological studies implicate the phospholipase A2/arachidonic acid cascade in the mechanism by which smoking causes heart disease. However, specific components of cigarette smoke that activate this pathway have not been identified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contained in cigarette smoke on phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity and apoptosis of human coronary artery endothelial cells. 1methylanthracene (1â MA), phenanthrene (PA), and benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) caused significant release of 3Hâ arachidonate from endothelial cells. 1â MA and PA, but not B(a)P, also caused significant release of 3Hâ linoleic acid. Release of fatty acids from membrane phospholipids preceded the onset of apoptosis. 3Hâ arachidonate release and apoptosis induced by 1â MA, B(a)P, and PA were inhibited by methylarachidonoylâ fluorophosphonate, an inhibitor of Groups IV and VI PLA2s. Bromoenol lactone, an inhibitor of Group VI enzymes, inhibited both 3Hâ arachidonate release and apoptosis induced by 1â MA and PA, but not B(a)P. MJ33, an inhibitor of the acidic calciumâ independent PLA2, attenuated 3Hâ arachidonate release and apoptosis by PA, but not 1MA or B(a)P. The presence of Groups IV and VI and the acidic iPLA2 in endothelial cells was demonstrated by reverse transcriptaseâ polymerase chain reaction and Western analysis. These data suggest that 1â MA, B(a)P and PA induce apoptosis of endothelial cells by a mechanism that involves activation of these three distinct isoforms of PLA2.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154505/1/fsb2fasebj16110092-sup-0001.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154505/2/fsb2fasebj16110092.pd

Anatomy of Mixing-Induced CP Asymmetries in Left-Right-Symmetric Models with Spontaneous CP Violation

We investigate the pattern of CP violation in K, B_d and B_s mixing in a symmetrical SU(2)_R x SU(2)_L x U(1) model with spontaneous CP violation. We calculate the phases of the left and right quark mixing matrices beyond the small phase approximation and perform a careful analysis of all relevant restrictions on the model's parameters from Delta m_K, Delta m_B, epsilon, epsilon'/epsilon and the CP asymmetry in B->J/psi K_S. We find that, with current experimental data, the mass of the right-handed charged gauge boson, M2, is restricted to be in the range 2.75 to 13 TeV and the mass of the flavour-changing neutral Higgs boson, MH, in 10.2 to 14.6 TeV. This means in particular that the decoupling limit M2, MH -> infinity is already excluded by experiment. We also find that the model favours opposite signs of epsilon and sin 2beta and is excluded if sin 2beta > 0.1.Comment: 33 pages Latex with 11 Postscript-Figures (included

A single gene (yes) controls pigmentation of eyes and scales in Heliothis virescens

A yellow-eyed mutant was discovered in a strain of Heliothis virescens, the tobacco budworm, that already exhibited a mutation for yellow scale, y. We investigated the inheritance of these visible mutations as candidate markers for transgenesis. Yellow eye was controlled by a single, recessive, autosomal factor, the same type of inheritance previously known for y. Presence of the recombinant mutants with yellow scales and wild type eyes in test crosses indicated independent segregation of genes for these traits. The recombinant class with wild type scales and yellow eyes was completely absent and there was a corresponding increase of the double mutant parental class having yellow scales and yellow eyes. These results indicated that a single factor for yellow eye also controlled yellow scales independently of y. This gene was named yes, for yellow eye and scale. We hypothesize that yes controls both eye and scale color through a deficiency in transport of pigment precursors in both the ommochrome and melanin pathways. The unlinked gene y likely controls an enzyme affecting the melanin pathway only. Both y and yes segregated independently of AceIn, acetylcholinesterase insensitivity, and sodium channel hscp, which are genes related to insecticide resistance

Understanding physicians’ behavior toward alerts about nephrotoxic medications in outpatients: a cross-sectional analysis

Background: Although most outpatients are relatively healthy, many have chronic renal insufficiency, and high override rates for suggestions on renal dosing have been observed. To better understand the override of renal dosing alerts in an outpatient setting, we conducted a study to evaluate which patients were more frequently prescribed contraindicated medications, to assess providers’ responses to suggestions, and to examine the drugs involved and the reasons for overrides. Methods: We obtained data on renal alert overrides and the coded reasons for overrides cited by providers at the time of prescription from outpatient clinics and ambulatory hospital-based practices at a large academic health care center over a period of 3 years, from January 2009 to December 2011. For detailed chart review, a group of 6 trained clinicians developed the appropriateness criteria with excellent inter-rater reliability (κ = 0.93). We stratified providers by override frequency and then drew samples from the high- and low-frequency groups. We measured the rate of total overrides, rate of appropriate overrides, medications overridden, and the reason(s) for override. Results: A total of 4120 renal alerts were triggered by 584 prescribers in the study period, among which 78.2% (3,221) were overridden. Almost half of the alerts were triggered by 40 providers and one-third was triggered by high-frequency overriders. The appropriateness rates were fairly similar, at 28.4% and 31.6% for high- and low-frequency overriders, respectively. Metformin, glyburide, hydrochlorothiazide, and nitrofurantoin were the most common drugs overridden. Physicians’ appropriateness rates were higher than the rates for nurse practitioners (32.9% vs. 22.1%). Physicians with low frequency override rates had higher levels of appropriateness for metformin than the high frequency overriders (P = 0.005). Conclusion: A small number of providers accounted for a large fraction of overrides, as was the case with a small number of drugs. These data suggest that a focused intervention targeting primarily these providers and medications has the potential to improve medication safety

Characterizing Patients with Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Vesicoureteral Reflux: A Pilot Study of the Urinary Proteome

Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) pose a significant burden on the health care system. Underlying mechanisms predisposing children to UTIs and associated changes in the urinary proteome are not well understood. We aimed to investigate the urinary proteome of a subset of children who have vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and recurrent UTIs because of their risk of developing infection-related renal damage. Improving diagnostic modalities to identify UTI risk factors would significantly alter the clinical management of children with VUR. We profiled the urinary proteomes of 22 VUR patients with low grade VUR (1-3 out of 5), a history of recurrent UTIs, and renal scarring, comparing them to those obtained from 22 age-matched controls. Urinary proteins were analyzed by mass spectrometry followed by protein quantitation based on spectral counting. Of the 2,551 proteins identified across both cohorts, 964 were robustly quantified, as defined by meeting criteria with spectral count (SC) \u3e /=2 in at least 7 patients in either VUR or control cohort based on optimization of signal-to-noise ratio. Eighty proteins had differential expression between the two cohorts, with 44 proteins significantly upregulated and 36 downregulated (q \u3c 0.075, |FC| \u3e 1.2). Urinary proteins involved in inflammation, acute phase response (APR), modulation of extracellular matrix (ECM), and carbohydrate metabolism were overrepresented among the study cohort

Korean adolescents' perceptions of nutrition and health towards fast foods in Busan area

Adolescents in Busan area were asked in a survey about their perception and attitudes towards fast food. Most respondents answered that they consume fast food once a month because it is fast, easily accessible and tasty. Although they perceived fast food as unhealthy and less nutritious, they were less aware of its effect on their health and nutritional status. The more knowledgeable respondents were about nutrition and health the less likely they were to choose fast food over other meals. However, respondents who had little or no knowledge about the nutritional factors of fast food accounted for 43.1%. As to their source of dietary information, students relied on themselves (31.0%), parents (20.5%) and friends (19.9%). The medium through which students got the most nutrition and health information was television (66.8%), followed by the Internet (36.7%) and magazines (29.7%). This study will enable educators to plan more effective strategies for improving the dietary knowledge of the adolescent population

A Galactic Bar to Beyond the Solar Circle and its Relevance for Microlensing

The Galactic kinematics of Mira variables have been studied using infrared photometry, radial velocities, and Hipparcos parallaxes and proper motions. For Miras in the period range 145 to 200 days (probably corresponding to [Fe/H] in the range -0.8 to -1.3) the major axes of the stellar orbits are concentrated in the first quadrant of Galactic longitude. This is interpreted as a continuation of the bar-like structure of the Galactic Bulge out to the solar circle and beyond.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. To be published in: Microlensing 2000. ASP Conference Series, Eds. J W Menzies, P Sacket