The Sex of Class: Women Transforming American Labor

[Excerpt] This book too is about class. It details the rise of class inequalities in the United States, and it offer portraits of the new labor movements that are arising in response. But is also about the sex of class. It is about the feminization of work and workers and the continued reluctance of those who study class and who rally on behalf of ameliorating class injustice to take sufficient notice of this fundamental revolution

The Effectiveness of the Automatic Reinstatement Policy at Eastern Illinois University

The effectiveness of Eastern Illinois University\u27s reinstatement policy was investigated in an attempt to determine what criteria were used to establish the current reinstatement policy and to further decide whether or not the criteria used have been accurate in predicting academic success for reinstated students at this institution. Chi-square analysis was used to assess the relationship, if any, between 14 variables and academic success following reinstatement: (1) quality point deficiency (QPD), (2) grade level at the time of dismissal, (3) race, (4) gender, (5) number of semesters in attendance prior to dismissal, (6) community college attendance during the absence from this institution, (7) length of time away from college, (8) age upon reinstatement, (9) successful completion of GST 1000 (General Studies) following reinstatement, (10) transfer student or new freshman admitted directly from high school, (11) ACT composite standard scores and/or entrance exam scores, (12) high school percentile rank (HSPR), (13) provisional admission to this institution, and (14) cumulative GPA at the time of dismissal. Logistic regression analysis was also employed to determine whether selected variables could be found to be predictors of academic success following reinstatement. The results of the chi-square analysis showed that the academic success of reinstated students was significantly related to quality point deficiency (QPD), cumulative GPA at the time of dismissal, and the successful completion of GST 1000. The results of the logistic regression analysis indicated that quality point deficiency (QPD) and the successful completion of GST 1000 were predictors of success following reinstatement at this institution

Differentiating among incretin-based therapies in the management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have become important options for the management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. While the GLP-1R agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors act on the incretin system to regulate glucose homeostasis, there are important clinical differences among the five agents currently available in the U.S. For example, the GLP-1R agonists require subcutaneous administration, produce pharmacological levels of GLP-1 activity, promote weight loss, have a more robust glucose-lowering effect, and have a higher incidence of adverse gastrointestinal effects. In contrast, the DPP-4 inhibitors are taken orally, increase the half-life of endogenous GLP-1, are weight neutral, and are more commonly associated with nasopharyngitis. Differences in efficacy, safety, tolerability, and cost among the incretin-based therapies are important to consider in the primary care management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Germination of certified soybean seed as influenced by moisture content, length of storage and seasonal temperature fluctuation

The purposes of the study were as follows: 1) to ascertain whether or not soybean seed having moisture levels above the standard 14 per cent were being certified; and 2) to determine the influence of storage under conditions of seasonal temperature fluctuations on the viability of certified soybean seed having moisture levels of 14.5 per cent or above at time of final certification

Saxagliptin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: assessing cardiovascular data

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at high risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease; however, conclusive evidence that glycemic control leads to improved cardiovascular outcomes is lacking. Saxagliptin is a potent, selective dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor approved as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with T2DM. Saxagliptin was evaluated in a series of phase III trials as monotherapy; add-on therapy to metformin, a sulfonylurea, or a thiazolidinedione; and as initial therapy in combination with metformin. Saxagliptin consistently improved glycemic control (as reflected by significant decreases in glycated hemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose, and postprandial glucose compared with controls) and was generally well tolerated. In these analyses, saxagliptin had clinically neutral effects on body weight, blood pressure, lipid levels, and other markers of CV risk compared with controls. A retrospective meta-analysis of 8 phase II and phase III trials found no evidence that saxagliptin increases CV risk in patients with T2DM (Cox proportional hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.23-0.80 for major adverse cardiovascular events retrospectively adjudicated). Instead, it raised the hypothesis that saxagliptin may reduce the risk of major adverse CV events. A long-term CV outcome trial, Saxagliptin Assessment of Vascular Outcomes Recorded in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus-THrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 53 (SAVOR-TIMI 53) is currently ongoing to determine whether saxagliptin reduces CV risk in T2DM

The influence of environmental temperatures on the composition of milk of the dairy cow

Digitized 2007 AES.Includes bibliographical references (pages 47-50)

Treatment with exenatide once weekly or twice daily for 30 weeks is associated with changes in several cardiovascular risk markers

Background Dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes are two of the most significant risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. Measurement of lipoprotein subclasses provides important information about derangements in lipid metabolism and helps refine cardiovascular risk assessment. Exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist, improved glycemic control, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia in patients with type 2 diabetes in clinical trials. Methods In the DURATION-1 trial, patients with type 2 diabetes were treated with exenatide once weekly or twice daily for 30 weeks. This post hoc analysis evaluated the impact of exenatide on lipoprotein subclasses in 211 DURATION-1 patients using vertical auto profile methodology and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences general linear model adjusted for glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and weight. Results Baseline lipids and high sensitivity C-reactive protein were normal overall based on the standard lipid panel. Once-weekly exenatide reduced apolipoprotein B and the apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein A1 ratio (P \u3c 0.05), independent of glycemic improvement and weight loss. A significant shift in lipoprotein pattern away from small, dense low-density lipoprotein-4 cholesterol was also observed (P \u3c 0.05). Exenatide once weekly increased high-density lipoprotein-2 cholesterol, even after adjustment for changes in HbA1c and weight (P \u3c 0.05). Triglycerides, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein were reduced with both the once-weekly and twice-daily exenatide regimens (P \u3c 0.05). Conclusion In this post hoc analysis, exenatide significantly improved a number of cardiovascular risk markers. Continuous exenatide exposure with exenatide once weekly elicited a greater response than did immediate-release exenatide twice daily, generally independent of glycemic improvement and weight loss. Thus, in addition to improving glycemic control, exenatide induced favorable changes in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and decreased systemic inflammation

Quantification of Progesterone and 17-β Estradiol in Mouse Serum by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Quantification of progesterone and 17-β estradiol in mouse serum by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry Authors: Benjamin Kennard, Allison Cobble, Amy Gravitte, Keleigh Galloway, Jen Kintner, Jennifer Hall, Stacy Brown Introduction: In the United States, Chlamydia trachomatis is a commonly appearing sexually transmitted infection1. It affects the U.S. healthcare system to a tune of about $500 million dollars annually2. In women, it generally appears asymptomatic and can lead to severe secondary complications such as pelvic inflammatory diseases or infertility1. Female sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are being identified to have a role in chlamydial infection. Specifically, this study aims to create quantification methods to detect levels of estrogen and progesterone in mice, infected with Chlamydia muridarum, plasma samples. Methods: Progesterone samples were prepared using solid-liquid extraction (SLE+) cartridges with ethyl acetate as the elution solvent. Estradiol samples were prepared using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) with methyl tert-butyl ether and subsequent derivatization with DMIS. Following sample preparation, hormones were quantified in samples using LC-MS/MS with a gradient elution of 1 mM ammonium fluoride in water and acetonitrile. The separation was achieved using a UCT C18 column (100 x 21.mm, 1.8 μm particle size) maintained at 50oC. The mass spectrometer was set up to isolate molecular ions for progesterone (m/z 315.0910) and derivatized estradiol (m/z 431.1835). Quantification was facilitated by the use of deuterium-labeled internal standards and their corresponding molecular ions in the mass spectrometer (d9-progesterone; m/z 324.1230 and d5-estradiol; m/z 436.2922). Results: Several aspects of the assay presented have been optimized for maximum analyte recovery and analytical sensitivity, including column choice, mobile phase, derivatizing agents for estradiol, and extraction protocols for progesterone. The LC-MS/MS method was investigated for precision and accuracy over three separate days. The dynamic range of the progesterone assay was 5 – 100 ng/mL, with a limit of detection of 1 ng/mL. Likewise, the estradiol assay was linear in the range of 5 – 100 ng/mL, with a limit of detection of 0.5 ng/mL. The average precision, represented by % RSD was 0.74 – 8.5% and 6.3 – 13.4% for progesterone and estradiol, respectively. The accuracy of the method, represented by % error was 1.6 – 14.4% and 4.0 – 10.5% for progesterone and estradiol, respectively. Successful validation was defined as \u3c 15% RSD and error (\u3c 20% at the limit of quantification), per current FDA Guidelines. Conclusions: The developed LC-MS/MS method is specific for progesterone and estradiol, and the extraction is suitable for preparation of mouse serum samples. This assay could be successfully applied to hormone quantification in mouse samples to support the investigation of the link between chlamydia infection and hormone levels in female animals. References 1. Chlamydia - 2017 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance. https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats17/chlamydia.htm. Accessed October 23, 2018. 2. Owusu-Edusei K, Chesson HW, Gift TL, et al. The Estimated Direct Medical Cost of Selected Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United States, 2008. Sex Transm Dis. 2013;40(3):197-201. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0b013e318285c6d